retire  /gTp) 


A  SECOND 


Digitized  by 

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in  2014 

https://archive.org/details/entiresanctificaOOruth_0 


Rev.  C.  W.  Ruth. 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION 


A  SECOND  BLESSING, 


TOGETHER  WITH 


LIFE  SKETCH,  BIBLE  READINGS  AND  SERMON 
OUTLINES, 


BY 


Rev.  C.  W.  RUTH. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  WITNESS  CO. 
CHICAGO  AND  BOSTON, 
1903. 


Copyright,  1903. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  WITNESS  COMPANY. 


INTRODUCTION. 


If  one  has  a  divine  message,  he  has  it  to  deliver.  The 
nature  of  it  demands  as  wide  a  hearing  as  possible. 

We  have  long  known  that  God  had  given  the  author 
of  this  work  something  to  say  for  Him. 

This,  as  a  preacher  and  witness,  he  has  said  to  quite 
a  remarkable  degree,  the  country  through. 

But  there  is  a  more  permanent  form,  and  a  wider 
reach  for  truth  than  by  the  human  voice. 

How  multiplied  and  multiplying  are  the  works  on 
holiness.  This  subject  is  present  as  never  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  holiness  movement.  God  is  going  to  be  heard ; 
He  is  being  heard. 

This  will  prove  a  helpful  work.  God  will  honor  its 
definitions.  The  words  of  the  Scriptures  are  used  and 
not  some  human  substitutes.  If  God  says  Sanctification, 
we  should.     This  author  does. 

If  people  consult  the  Table  of  Contents,  they  will  see 
interesting  topics;  if  they  read  the  chapters,  they  will 
get  both  information  and  inspiration. 

Charles  J.  Fowler. 

Boston,  Sept.  Ist,  1903. 


**  Follow  peace  with  all  men 
AND    THE  SANCTIFICATION 
without  which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

Heb,  12:14.  R.  V. 


PREFACE. 


This  book  was  not  written  for  the  critic ;  nor  is  there  any 
eftort  to  present  an  exhaustive  treatise  of  the  subject 
herein  set  forth.  The  desire  to  present  in  a  permanent 
form  the  convictions  of  the  writer  touching  this  subject, 
in  the  hope  that  they  may  help  some  hungry  heart  even 
after  the  writer  has  gone  to  his  reward ;  and  the  burning 
desire  to  help  hungry  souls  into  the  blessed  experience  of 
entire  sanctification^  is  the  only,  and  we  trust,  sufficient 
excuse  for  the  publishing  of  this  volume.  The  writer 
has  never  assumed  the  role  of  an  author,  and  begs  to  say 
that  much  of  the  matter  herein  presented  has  been  written 
hurriedly  amid  the  discharge  of  pressing  pastoral  duties 
for  publication  in  an  excellent  holiness  journal,  ^'Tlie 
Nazaren'e  Messenger/^  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  The  book 
is  sent  forth  with  the  prayer  that  hungry  hearts,  longing 
for  a  complete  deliverance  from  sin,  may  be  enabled  to 
obtain  and  realize  the  grace  of  entire  sanctification  as  a 
second  blessing,  and  so,  not  only  know  the  doctrine,  but 
the  experience  itself.  Amen. 

That  the  blessing  of  God  may  come  upon  every  reader 
and  that  God  may  be  glorified  in  the  sanctification  of 
many  souls,  is  the  earnest  wish  and  prayer  of  the  writer. 

C.  W.  EUTH. 

Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Nov.  1st,  1903. 


TO 


J6mma  5o9epb(ne  "Kutb, 

MY  CONSECRATED  AND  DEVOTED  WIFE,  WHO  IS  TO  ME  A 
"HELP-MEET"  INDEED,  THIS  VOLUME  IS 
MOST  AFFECTIONATELY 


CONTENTS. 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 

Definitions  of   Sanctification  «   15 

Six  Theories  of  Sanctification   21 

Sanctification  and  Entire  Sanctification   27 

Distinctions  between  Justification  and  Sanctification   31 

Justification  not  a  Half  Way  Work   34 

Sanctification,  A  Second  Blessing   38 

That  *'Something."    41 

Essentials  to  Sanctification    43 

Sanctification  includes  Separation  and  Consecration   46 

Why  not  Sanctified  when  Converted?   48 

Eradication  or   Repression,   Which?   50 

Sanctification  and  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost   52 

Entire  Sanctification  Necessary  to  Entire  Satisfaction   55 

Entire  Sanctification,  How  Obtained   57 

Some  Benefits  of  Sanctification   60 

Sanctification,  the  Cure  of  Unbelief   6» 

Growing-   into    Sanctification   64 

Sanctification  and  Mistakes    65 

Sanctification   and   Holy   Living   67 

^Sanctification  and  Stability    70 

Sanctification  and  Power    72 

Sanctification  and  Revivals    74 

Witnessing  to  Sanctification    76 

Sanctification  or  "Call  It  What  You  Please,"   79 

If  Sanctified,  How  Could  a  Person  Sin?   82 

What  Becomes  of  People  Who  Are  Not  Sanctified?   84 

"I  Cannot  See  Into  Sanctification."   87 

Darkness   and  Heaviness    89 

The   Witness   of    the   Spirit   92 

*'Him."    or    ^'It'^   94 

Divine  Guidance    96 

"Sinless    Perfection."    98 

First  Pure,  then  Peaceable  100 

Perfection  and  Growth   102 

Why  Men  Oppose  Holiness    194 

Definiteness   108 

Consecration   and    Sanctification   110 

Sanctification    and    Personality  112 

Why  the  Preaching  of  Holiness  is  Essential  to  Revivals....  115 

Some  Questions  Answered   118 

The  Will  of  God  121 

Alone   With   Jesus    123 

Trials   ,  ,  123 

BIBLE  READINGS, 

Christian   Perfection    127 

Heart  Purity    127 

Sianctification  128 

Holiness   ,   128 

Passages  of  Scripture  Sugg^esting  the  Two  Experiences  129 


CONTENTS. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 

Perfect  Love   131 

An    Uttermost    Salvation   133 

Full  Salvation    136 

The    Two    Baptisms   13S 

Holiness  or  Hell,   Which?   141 

Holiness  Versus  Backsliding   144 

Heavenly  Mindedness    147 

Christ,    the    Way   149 

Secrets  of  Victory   152 

Self  Examination    15b 

Glorying  in  the  Cross   158 

Seeking-  the  Face  of  God   160 

One   Thing    162 

Leprosy  a  Type  of  Sin   165 

Beyond  the  Second  Veil  '   167 

Essential  Truth    170 

Jesus  Christ,  the  God-Man   172 

The  Test  of  Genuine  Religion   175 

Redeemed  from  the  Curse  of  the  Law   177 

FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 

Hungering   and   Thirsting   180 

Ask    and    Receive   180 

With   the  Spirit   181 

Above  Measure    181 

Filled   ,  „  ,   182 

Blessings  Poured  Out   182 

Full  of  Sap    183 

Full  of  Light    183 

Filled  With  God's  Fullness   184 

Filled  by  Faith    184 

Full   of  Power  185 

Fruits  of  Righteousness    185 

Full   of   Goodness    186 

Filled    With    Food   186 

God's    Fulness   ,   187 

Full    of    Wisdom   187 

Fullness  of  the  Blessing   188 

Mouths    Filled    188 

Fullness  of  the  Godhead   189 

Good    Measure    189 

Full  of  Temporal  Blessings   190 

Filled  With  Knowledge    190 

Full  of  Good  Works    19i 

The  Hungry  are  Filled   191 

Filled  With  Joy   IM 


LIFE  SKETCH. 

The  writer  was  born  September  1st,  1865,  in  Hilltown 
township,  Bucks  county,  Penna.  Both  my  father  and 
mother  were  devoted  and  consistent  Christians,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  Association  before  I  was  bom, 
hence  I  grew  up  in  a  home-atmosphere  of  real  spirituality 
and  godliness.  For  this  I  anx  devoutly  thankful. 
Among  my  earliest  recollections  are  the  family  altar,  the 
Sabbath  School,  and  attendance  upon  the  prayer  meet- 
ings, revival  meetings  and  camp  meetings  with  my 
parents.  I  was  the  first-bom,  and  only  son,  having  three 
younger  sisters.  I  do  not  think  there  ever  was  a  day, 
from  my  earliest  childhood  to  the  time  of  my  conversion, 
the  Spirit  of  God  did  not  strive  with  me,  and  bring  to 
my  heart  conviction  for  sin  and  my  need  of  a  Savior. 
Often  times  I  was  ^'^almost  persuaded'^  to  become  a 
Christian,  and  always  cherished  the  purpose  to  do  so  at 
some  time,  and  yet,  withal,  procrastinated,  and  so  became 
more  and  more  hardened  and  cormpted  by  sin.  But 
the  consciousness  that  my  parents  were  daily  and  con- 
stantly praying  for  mfe,  often  restrained  me  from  out- 
ward sin,  and  kept  my  conscience  tender.  For  several 
years  I  lived  on  the  farm  with  my  Grandparents,  who 
also  were  devout  Christians,  and  here  too  the  influences 
of  religion  constantly  surrounded  and  restrained  me. 
Having  but  limited  means,  my  parents  were  unable  to 
provide  me  with  any  especial  educational  advantages. 
Living  in  a  country  village  or  on  the  farm,  I  never  had 
the  privilege  of  attending  even  a  graded  school,  and  for 
the  most  part  attended  a  country  school;  and  even  here 

9 


circumstances  compelled  an  irregular  attendance.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  it  was  decided  that  I  should  learn  some 
trade;,  and  so  arrangements  were  made  for  me  to  go  to 
a  neighboring  town  (Quakertown^  Penna.)  to  serve  an 
apprenticeship  in  a  printing  office.  Here  again  I  found 
myself  surrounded  with  religious  influences,  as  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  printing  office  was  a  Christian  gentleman. 
In  the  same  office  with  me  was  the  son  of  a  preacher.  We 
became  quite  intimate  friends.  After  a  few  months  he 
was  sent  for  by  his  father  to  attend  a  camp  meeting.  At 
once  I  surmised  the  object  in  view,  and  remarked  to  a 
fellow-workman  that  when  the  preacher^s  son  would  re- 
turn fronx'  the  camp  meeting  he  would  be  religious.  The 
more  I  thought  of  it,  the  more  fully  I  believed  it  would  be 
60,  and  the  thought  greatly  distressed  me.  Somehow,  I 
felt  that  if  he  was  converted  I  would  have  to  be.  As 
he  returned  on  Monday  morning,  just  one  look  into  hi» 
countenance,  before  he  had  uttered  a  word,  convinced  me 
that  my  fears  had  come  true.  Instantly  I  was  in  trouble, 
and  under  deep  conviction.  I  felt  there  was  a  chasm 
between  us.  ^  Without  saying  much,  to  me  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  he  declared  his  purpose  to  attend  the  miu- 
week  prayer  mjeeting,  and  insisted  on  my  going  with  him ; 
this  I  finally  consented  to  do. 

This  was  on  a  Friday  night.  Here  conviction  became 
so  pungent  and  intense,  I  publicly  confessed  myself  a 
seeker;  after  much  earnest  crying  and  agonizing  prayer 
to  God,  by  day  and  night,  confessing  my  sins,  I  was  glori- 
ously converted  on  the  following  Sunday  night.  The  pas- 
tor of  the  church  I  attended,  after  an  earnest  sermon,  in- 
vited seekers  to  come  forward  to  the  altar  of  prayer.  I  re- 

10 


joiced  in  the  opportunity,  and  rushed  forward  to  the  altar^ 
fell  upon  my  knees,  and  plead  for  mercy.  At  about  9  :30 
o^clock,  God  in  mercy  heard  my  prayer,  the  burden  of  my 
guilt,  was  rolled  away,  the  light  of  heaven  broke  into  my 
soul,  the  Spirit  witnessed  with  my  spirit  that  I  was  par- 
doned and  accepted  of  God,  and  was  indeed  a  new  creature 
in  Christ.  Although  I  had  been  averse  to  religious  demon- 
strations, I  now  found  myself  shouting  aloud  the  praises 
of  God.  I  was  born  again  and  knew  it.  This  occurred 
early  in  September,  1882.  Praise  God  forever  more! 
Soon  after  this  I  was  baptized  and  united  with  the  church. 

During  the  following  year  I  lived  a  most  earnest  and 
devoted  Christian  life,  attending  faithfully  all  the  means 
of  grace.  I  carried  two  testaments — one  German  and  one 
English — in  my  pockets,  and  used  my  spare  time  in,  study- 
ing the  same.  Thus  I  maintained  a  clear  justified  ex- 
perience. But  I  had  gone  only  a  very  short  time  in  my 
Christian  experience  until  I  discovered,  much  to  my 
amazement,  that  there  still  remained  a  something  in  my 
heart  that  hindered  me,  and  at  times  even  defeated  me. 
The  principal  manifestations  of  that  ^^something^^  were, 
a  man-fearing  spirit,  the  uprising  of  an  unholy  temper, 
difficulty  in  forgiving  and  loving  an  enemy,  etc.  I 
learned  that  Jesus  could  remove  the  root  of  those  difficul- 
ties out  of  the  heart.  Just  one  year  after  I  had  been 
BO  gloriously  converted,  while  yet  in  my  first  love,  I 
definitely  sought  the  experience  of  entire  sanctificatiou. 
After  seeking  earnestly  for  some  days,  one  Sunday  night 
while  walking  down  the  side-walk  toward  the  church, 
conscious  that  I  had  consecrated  my  all  for  time  and 
eternity,  I  was  enabled  to  look  up  into  heaven,  and  say. 


"I  believe  that  the  blood  of  Jesns  cleanseth  my  heart 
from  all  sin  now;  He  sanctifies  me  no^/^  and  suddenly 
and  consciously  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  me,  and  I  knew 
just  as  positively  and  as  assuredly  that  God  had  sancti- 
fied me  through  and  through,  as  I  had  known  a  year 
before  that  he  had  pardoned  my  sins.  I  rushed  into  the 
church,  and  before  the  pastor  had  time  to  an- 
nounce the  opening  hymn,  I  told  the  congregation 
what  had  occurred  on  the  sidewalk,  and  that  God 
had  sanctified  me  v*^holly.  Billows  of  glory  swept  over 
m'e  until  my  joy  seemed  to  be  utterly  inexpressible  and 
uncontainable.  Oh,  the  blessedness  of  that  hour !  Surely 
heaven  could  be  no  better.  And  from  that  day  to  the 
present — ^now  almost  twenty  years — Satan  has  never  had 
the  audacity  to  tempt  m^e  to  doubt  even  for  one  minute 
that  God  did  not  then  and  there  sanctify  me  wholly. 

In  the  spring  of  1884:  I  accepted  a  position  in  a 
printing  office  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.  After  coming  to  this 
city  God  distinctly  and  unmistakably  called  me  to  preach 
His  gospel.  It  would  require  another  chapter  to  give 
all  the  details  of  the  struggle  through  which  I  now  passed, 
as  for  three  m^onths  I  prayed  against  this  conviction.  In 
view  of  my  limited  education,  poverty,  etc.,  I  felt  that  it 
was  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  enter  the  ministry.  How- 
ever, I  came  to  feel  ^^Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
GospeF^  and  on  a  Monday  afternoon  about  3  o'clock,  while 
on  my  knees,  God  seemed  to  speak  to  me  direct  in  the 
words  of  Luke  21:15;  will  give  you  a  mouth  and 
wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries  shall  not  be  able  to 
gainsay  nor  resist.'^  Those  words  had  never  before  come 
to  my  notice.     At  the  time,  they  seemed  to  have  been 

12 


spoken  to  me  personally  and  audibly.  This  greatly  as- 
sured and  comforted  my  heart.  The  ^^open  door^'  of  op- 
portunity in  the  providence  of  God^,  was  at  once  before 
me.  I  selected  as  my  first  text,  Matt.  11 :28-30,  and  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  preached  as  best  I  could.  While  I 
was  thus  endeavoring  to  preach,  sinners  wept  and  saints 
shouted.  I  gave  an  invitation  for  any  desiring  to  seek 
the  Lord  to  come  to  the  altar  of  prayer.  Although  there 
had  been  no  revival  in  progress,  five  penitents  came  to 
the  altar,  and  three  were  happily  converted  that  night. 
Soon  after  this  the  call  of  God  to  the  special  work  of  holi- 
ness evangelism  came  to  me  just  as  clearly  and  certainly 
as  had  been  my  conversion,  sanctification  and  call  to 
preach.  Again,  in  a  most  mysterious  manner,  the  open 
door  of  opportunity  was  before  me,  and  so  in  the  fall  of 
that  same  year  (1884)  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  assist 
a  church  in  a  special  series  of  revival  meetings,  and  re- 
signed my  position  in  the  printing  office.  Since  that  time 
I  have  never  had  a  vacation  of  three  weeks^  and  have 
averaged  more  than  one  sermon  a  day  each  year.  I  have 
preached  and  testified  the  gospel  of  holiness  everywhere, 
and  have  never  had  a  revival  engagement,  where  the  services 
continued  one  week  or  more  without  seekers  at  the  altar. 
I  regard  it  as  a  conservative  statement  when  I  say  that  in 
my  meetings  T  have  witnessed  more  than  thirty  thousand 
souls  kneel  at  the  altar  seeking  pardon  or  heart  purity.  Four 
times  I  was  elected  as  Presiding  Elder — each  time  over  my 
protest — ^but  with  it  continued  the  work  of  holiness  evan- 
gelism. I  have  traveled  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  miles  in  filling  my  engagements,  and  have 
labored  in  thirty-three  states  and  Canada,  among  twenty- 

13 


five  different  denominations.  Eighteen  months  of  this 
time  I  have  been  associate  pastes  of  the  Church  of  the 
Nazarene  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  but  during  all  that  time 
there  never  was  a  week  without  souls  being  saved  and  sanc- 
tified at  our  altars.  To  God  be  all  the  glory.  Surely 
%y  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am^^^ 

C.  W.  KUTH. 


14 


DEFINITIONS  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 


15 


DEFINITIONS  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 

Men  speak  of  the  subject  of  sanctification  as  though 
it  were  something  so  mysterious  and  incomprehensible 
that  but  very  few  could  know  its  meaning.  While  its 
reality  can  only  be  known  as  the  result  of  experience, 
the  meaning  of  the  word  may  be  found  by  consulting 
almost  any  dictionary^  just  as  one  finds  the  meaning  or 
definition  of  any  other  word.  While  different  phases 
of  the  subject  may  be  eniiphasized  by  different  lexicog- 
raphers there  is  a  most  substantial  agreement  regarding 
the  fact  of  this  word  having  both  a  human  and  a  divine 
aspect;  the  human  feature  being  a  consecration  and  de- 
votement  to  God  and  His  service^  and  the  divine  work  in 
sanctification  a  complete  deliverance  and  purification  from 
all  sin.  To  use  the  word  contradictory  to  these  authen- 
ticated definitions  is  to  do  violence  to  the  word  and  make 
words  meaningless.  No  man  is  at  liberty  to  say  that 
light  means  darkness  or  darkness  light. 

Webster^s  Dictionary. 

Sanctify. — ^^1.  To  make  sacred  or  holy,  to  set  apart 
to  a  holy  or  religious  use,  to  consecrate  by  appropriate 
rites,  to  hallow.  ...  2.  To  make  free  from  sin,  to 
cleanse  from  moral  corruption  and  pollution,  to  purify. 
John  17:17,  Esp.  (Theol.)  the  act  of  God's  grace  by 
which  the  affections  of  men  are  purified  or  alienated  from 


i6 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


sin  and  the  world,  and  exalted  to  a  supreme  love  to  God." 
Surely  this  is  language  that  can  be  understood  and  is 
all  desirable. 

Century  Dictionary. 

Sanctify: — ^^To  make  holy  or  clean,  either  ceremoni- 
ally or  morally  and  spiritually ;  to  purify  or  free  from  sin. 
.  .  .  In  Theology,  the  act  of  God^s  grace  by  which  the 
affections  of  men  are  purified  and  the  soul  is  cleansed 
from  sin  and  consecrated  to  God  .  .  .  conformity  of  the 
heart  and  life  to  the  will  of  God." 

^The  act  of  God^s  grace,"  hence  it  cannot  be  obtained 
by  works  or  growth;  a  divine  act;  "cleansed  from  sin." 
Pardon  and  cleansing  are  not  identical. 

Imperial  Dictionary. 

Sanctify: — "To  make  holy  or  sacred;  to  separate,  set 
apart  or  appoint  to  a  holy,  sacred  or  religious  use.  2.  To 
purify  in  order  to  prepare  for  divine  service  and  for  par- 
taking of  holy  things.  3.  To  purify  from  sin,  to  make 
holy." 

"Set  apart;"  "to  purify  from  sin"  which  is  "to  prepare 
for  divine  service."  Should  not  all  Christians  desire  and 
experience  this  preparation  for  service  ? 

Worcester's  Dictionary. 

Sanctify: — "1.  To  free  from  the  power  of  sin;  to 
cleanse  from  corruption ;  to  make  holy  .  .  .  sanctification ; 
the  act  of  sanctifying,  or  purifying  from  the  dominion 
of  sin.  2.  The  act  of  consecrating  or  setting  apart  to  a 
sacred  end  or  office ;  consecration." 


DEFINITIONS  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 


17 


^'To  free  from  the  power  of  sin./^  Who  would  not  de- 
sire deliverance  from  the  power  and  dominion  of  sin? 

Universal  Dictionary. 

Sanctify: — ^'1.  To  make  holy  or  sacred;  to  conse- 
crate.      2.    To  make  holy  or  godly;  to  purify  from  sin.'' 

*^To  make  holy  or  godly.''  The  word  godly  means  God- 
like. How  a  person  can  love  God^  who  is  the  essence 
and  embodiment  of  holiness  and  then  be  averse  or  antag- 
onistic to  sanctification  which  is  to  make  them  holy  and 
godly  is  indeed  a  mystery. 

Standard  Dictionary. 

Sanctify: — '^1.  To  make  holy;  rendered  sacred:  mor- 
ally or  spiritually  pure^  cleansed  from  sin  .  .  .  sanctifica- 
tion; specifically  in  Theology,  the  gracious  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  whereby  the  believer  is  freed  from  sin  and  ex- 
alted to  holiness  of  heart  and  life." 

"Whereby  the  believer  is  freed  from  sin."  According 
to  this,  sanctification  is  an  experience  for  believers — ^not 
for  sinners.  This  w^ould  make  sanctification  a  second  ex- 
perience. "The  gracious  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit" — not 
of  works,  nor  growth,  nor  death,  nor  purgatory,  but  a 
work  of  God  divinely  inwrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  We 
can  never  grow  into  something  God  must  do  for  us. 

American  Encyclopedia. 
Sanctify: — "To  make  holy  or  sacred;  to  consecrate  or 
set  apart  ...  to  purify  from  sin  .  .  .  sanctification. 
Technically,  an  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  (Eom. 
15  :16  ;  2  Thess.  2  :13 ;  1  Pet.  1 :2)  on  those  who  are  already 
in  Jesus,  i.  e.,  are  united  to  Him  by  faith  (1  Cor.  1:2) 


j8 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


by  which  they  are  rendered  increasingly  holy^,  dying  to 
6in  and  living  to  God,  to  righteousness  and  to  holiness, 
(Eom.  6:6,  11,  13,  19;  1  Thess.  5:23;  1  Pet.  3:24)/' 

Surely  this  is  explicit  enough.  "An  operation  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  on  those  who  are  already  in  Jesus.''  An 
experience  for  "those  who  are  already  in  Jesus,"  A  sec- 
ond work,  a  divine  work ;  consequently  it  must  be  obtained 
by  faith;  Acts  26:18. 

Thus  we  see  that  there  is  an  agreement,  even  as  Adam 
Clark  says  in  his  commentary  on  John  17:17.  "The 
word  has  two  meanings  :  1.  It  signifies  to  consecrate,  to 
separate  from  earth  and  common  use  and  to  devote  or 
dedicate  to  God  and  His  service.  2.  It  signifies  to  make 
holy  or  pure.  The  prayer  of  Christ  m(ay  be  understood 
in  both  of  these  senses.'^ 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CATECHISM. 

"The  act  of  Divine  grace  whereby  we  are  made  holy.^' 
Not  an  experience  to  be  reached  by  growth,  but  by  an 
''act  of  Divine  grace." 

WESTMINSTER  CONFESSION  OF  FAITH. 

"They  who  are  effectually  called  and  regenerated  hav- 
ing a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit  created  in  them,  are 
further  sanctified,  really  and  personally,  through  the  virtue 
of  Christ's  death  and  resurrection  by  His  Word  and  His 
Spirit  dwelling  in  them." 

Here  again  it  is  recognized  that  sanctification  is  for 
such  as  *'are  effectually  called  and  regenerated"  and  that 
it  is  accomplished  '"hj  His  Word  and  His  Spirit,"  and 
not  by  death  or  purgatory. 


DEFINITIONS  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 


19 


JOHN  WESLEY. 

^^Sanctification  in  the  proper  sense  is  an  instantaneous 
deliverance  from  all  sin^  and  includes  an  instantaneous 
power  then  given  always  to  cleave  to  God/^ 

"An  instantaneous  deliverance  from  all  sin^^  and  not  a 
protracted  and  tedious  process  of  growth.  There  is  a 
gradual  approach  to  the  blessings  so  far  as  the  human 
part  of  consecration,  preparation  and  faith  is  concerned, 
but  the  Divine  work  of  "deliverance  from  all  sin^^  is 
instantaneous. 

pope's  theology. 
Vol  2,  Page  64. 

'•'Sanctification  in  its  beginnings,  process  and  final  issues 
is  the  full  eradication  of  the  sin  itself,  which,  reigning  in 
the  unregenerate  co-exists  with  the  new  life  in  the  re- 
generate, is  abolished  in  the  wholly  sanctified.^^ 

Pope  was  a  Wesleyan  Theologian  and  is  an  accepted  au- 
thority on  Christian  doctrine  in  Methodism.  He  declares 
there  is  a  sin  which  "co-exists  with  the  new  life  in  the  re- 
generate" which,  however,  "is  abolished  in  the  wholly  sanc- 
tified." 

rev.  w.  f.  mallalieu. 

Bishop  in  the  M.  E,  Church. 

*Trom  the  very  first  years  of  my  ministry  to  the  pres- 
ent time  I  have  held  with  Adam  Clark,  Eichard  Watson, 
John  Fletcher  and  John  Wesley,  that  regeneration  and  en- 
tire sanctification  are  separate  and  distinct  one  from  the 
other,  and  therefore  received  at  different  times — ^both  re- 
ceived by  faith  and  the  last  one  the  privilege  of  every  be- 


20 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


liever  as  the  first  is  of  every  penitent/^  To  all  this  we  say. 
Amen  and  amen. 

MATTHEW  HENRY'^S  COMMENTARY. 

'^t  is  the  prayer  of  Christ  for  all  that  are  His,  that 
they  may  be  sanctified." 

SAMUEL  RUTHERFORD. 

the  saintly  Scottish  Presbyterian  divine  said^  "Christ  is 
more  to  be  loved,  for  giving  ns  sanctification  than  justi- 
fication. It  is  in  some  respects  greater  love  in  Him  to 
sanctify  than  to  justify,  for  He  maketh  us  like  himself 
in  His  own  essential  portraiture  and  image  in  sancti- 
fication.^^ 

The  words  ^^sanctify^^  and  sanctification^^  are  made 
from  the  Latin  adjective  sancUis  (meaning  ^Tioly'^)  and 
the  Latin  verb  facere  (meaning  m^ke^^)  and  the 
suffix  "Hon"  always  meaning  "the  act  of.^^  So  the  root 
meaning  of  the  word,  plainly  means  and  signifies  the  act 
of  making  holy.  Many  more  splendid  authorities  might 
be  adduced,  but  these  definitions  from  so  many  well 
known  and  accepted  standards  should  suffice  to  con- 
vince any  Christian  of  his  privilege  and  high  calling  in 
the  Gospel. 

"Christ  also  loved  the  Church,  and  gave  Himself  for 
it;  that  Ha  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it.^^  Eph.  5  :25-26. 
"WTierefore  Jesus  also,  that  He  might  sanctify  the  peo- 
ple with  His  own  blood,  suffered  without  the  gate.  Let 
us  go  forth  therefore  unto  Him  without  the  Camp,  bear- 
ing His  reproach.*'  Heb.  13 :12-13. 


SIX  THEORIES. 


21 


SIX  THEORIES  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 

No  man  can  make  an  honest  pretense  to  believing  the 
Bible,  and  not  believe  in  some  sort  of  sanctification. 
According  to  Cruden^s  concordance,  the  words  ^'^sanctify/^ 
^^sanctified'^  and  ^^sanctification^^  may  be  found  at  least 
one  hundred  and  sixty-four  times  in  the  Bible.  So 
when  one  declares  he  does  not  believe  in  sanctification,  he 
simply  exposes  either  his  ignorance  or  his  infidelity  con- 
cerning the  Bible.  In  order  to  believe  the  Bible,  we  are 
bound  to  believe  in  some  sort  of  sanctification. '  Practicallj^, 
there  are  but  six  theories  regarding  this  experience. 

FIRST  THEORY. 

The  first  theory  is  that  justification  and  sanctification 
are  experienced  simultaneously;  that  whoever  is  justified 
is  also  sanctified.  Those  holding  this  theory  may  be  heard 
to  say  they  ^^got  all  when  they  were  converted.^^  But  this 
theory  is  contrary  to  the  Scripture  and  universal  ex- 
perience. Every  command,  exhortation,  prayer,  and  prom- 
ise in  the  Bible  touching  the  subject  of  sanctification  is 
for  Christians — ^never  for  sinners.  If  Christians  are 
sanctified  when  justified,  why  should  sanctification  be  sub- 
sequently enjoined  upon  them?  In  writing  to  the  Cor- 
inthian church,  (1  Cor.  3:1-3)  the  Apostle  addressed  them 
as  "brethren,^^  said  they  were  ^T^abes  in  Christ,^^  and  de- 
clared he  had  fed  them  ^Vith  milk.^^  A  ^'babe  in  Christ^ ^ 
is  just  as  certainly  in  Christ  as  an  adult  in  Christ ;  there 
must  have  been  a  spiritual  birth — a  spiritual  being — or 
they  could  not  have  received  spiritual  food  and  nourish- 
ment. But  in  verse  three  he  says,  plainly,  ^^Ye  are  yet 
carnal,"  which  undeniably  is  evidence  that  they  were  not 


23 


EXTIBE  SA^*CTiriCATIOX. 


yet  wholly  sanctified,  thongli  they  were  Christ/'  In 
the  first  chapter  and  fourth  verse,  he  said,  ^T.  thank 
Gjd  always  on  your  behaK,  for  the  grace  of  Grod 
-^r-i  ih  is  given  yon  by  Jesns  Christ/'  According  to  this 
:hr  :  ? :!  *  The  grace  of  Grod  given  them  by  Jesus  Christ/' 
::t  r  had  such  measnre  of  grace  given  them  that  the 
A7  :  :-r  :  I  it  an  occasion  for  continuous  thanksgiving. 
Sri-.  -  T  "  7  5  they  were  ^S^et  camaU'  Who  ever  heard 
2.  mz:  :  :  L  a  sinner  to  seek  sanctification?  Not 

only  is  h^  :     r    ::i  :  r  to  all  Scripture,  but  contrary 
to  ill  :_      L  tZ  t::tl:t.     Every  tnily  converted  soul 
It".:  :„r  :z::".  -Tirrlngs  of  carnality  in  his  heart 

s  :.ent  to  pardon,  manifesting  itseK  in  fear,  anger, 
n  T/f  ^ride,  selfvrl!  ::i:!ency,  etc.,  etc  We  ven- 
:  Tr  -^ertion  :::::  z       ng  convert  has  ever  gone 

six  ninths  ::  r  :^  :f  his  conversion  without  find- 
er =  :iit  ::  .-  i-r  ::::z^^  :i  hi?  heart,  which  is  in  evi- 
irH-^  T-iit  :hr  r:  ::5  ::  ::.r:i:.h:"-  ~-re  still  within.  Again, 
no  young  convert  has  ever  th :  testifying  to  sanc- 

tification  as  an  experienc-e  unless  ::i  — :  :ni  blessing  meet- 
ing. If  space  would  permit  we  c  :  il  l  _h  :~  that  the  Apos- 
tles ^ere  r::  sanctified  when  they  were  justified,  nor  the 
E'^hr^i?  :^  z  r  the  Galatians,  nor  the  Eomans,  nor  the 
Sa-ti::::::::is.  nir  the  Colossians,  nor  Abraham,  nor  David, 
nor  Isaiah,  etc.,  but  that  all  these  obtained  it  as  a  second 


SECOND  THEOBT. 

The  second  theory  is  that  sanctification  is  attained  by 
a  giowQi  in  grace.  This  theory  is  an  absurdity  for  the 
leason  that  we  can  never  grow  impurity  out  of  the  heart. 


SIX  THEORIES  OF  SAXCTIFICATION.  23 

If  sanctification  were  by  gro^vth,  then  time  is  a  factor, 
for  all  will  admit  that  it  requires  time  to  grow;  if  time 
is  a  factor,  tlien  we  may  well  raise  the  question,  **now 
much  time  is  required?''  ^'How  long  must  we  grow  in 
grace  before  we  are  wholh'  sanctified  Suppose  one  might 
be  said  to  gi'ow  into  sanctification  in  two  years;  (which 
would  be  a  very  short  time  as  compared  with  many  who 
have  been  known  to  be  growing  in  grace  for  the  space  of 
forty  years  and  have  not  yet  reached  it)  and  now  suppose 
that  individual  should  die  at  the  expiration  of  one 
year,  when  it  might  be  said  he  has  come  by  the 
process  of  gro^\i:h,  just  half  way  to  sanctification, 
what  about  the  matter?  Would  not  the  last  half  of  sanc- 
tification, of  necessity,  have  to  take  place  instantly?  And 
if  the  last  half  of  sanctification  might  be  completed  in- 
stantly, why  not  the  first  half  ?  To  hope  for  sanctification 
by  growth  is  hoping  in  a  theor}'  that  can  never  be  real- 
ized. Sanctification  is  plainly  a  ^'divine  act/^  obtained 
instantaneously  by  an  entire  consecration  and  faith.  As 
well  speak  of  growing  into  justification  as  growing  into 
sanctification;  as  in  the  former,  so  in  the  latter;  it  is 
something  Jesus  must  do  for  us.  ^"'Wlierefore  Jesus  also^ 
that  He  might  sanctify  the  people  with  His  own  bloody 
suffered  without  the  gate.''    Heb.  13-12. 

THIRD  THEORY. 

The  third  theory  is  that  '^sanctification  takes  place  in 
death ;  that  no  one  can  be  sanctified  in  this  life.''  We  answer 
death  has  no  saving  efficacy.  If  death  could  deliver  a 
Christian  from  some  sin,  why  might  it  not  deliver  a  sinner 
from  all  r=in?  Then  there  would  be  no  need  of  a  Savior  or  of 


24 


EXTHIE  SANCTIFICATION. 


the  cleansing  bloody  and  death,  would  be  a  savior.  Satan 
is  the  direct  cause  of  sin  and  sin  is  the  canse  of  deatii; 
this  would  make  death  Satan^s  grand-child.  One  conld 
hardly  hope  for  deliverance  from  sra  from  this  source. 
While  doubtless  some  persons  have  received  the  grace  of 
sanctification  on  their  death-ted,  i:  vas  evidently  bj  the 
cleansing  blood  of  J esns  and  not  by  death.  If  the  blood  of 
Jesus  can  cleanse  ns  from  all  ^'n  ^h^n  '^-ji^gy  ^hy  might 
it  not  cleanse  m  from  all  '  iee  life?  Has  the 
blood  of  Jesns  more  clrrr^Tiiir  "':~Tr  Trhen  a  man  is 
dying  than  when  he  is  living?  Cenainiy  not.  Xot  a  sin- 
gle passage  of  scripture  can  be  cited  that  gives  ns  promise 
of  or  cleansing*  at  the  time  of  dissolution.  The 

Epistle  of  Jnde  vv-as  written  ^T^o  them  that  are  sanctified" 
(Jnde  1:1).  If  they  were  not  sanctified  nntil  death,  this 
epistle  must  have  been  written  to  them  after  they  were 
dead,  for  it  was  written  ei'-rr  ^hej  were  sanctified.  But 
this  verse  says,  they  were  "i:;:i::ified  by  God  the  Father;'^ 
not  by  death. 

FOUETH  THEORY. 

The  fonrth  theory  is  that  sanctification  is  a  sort  of 
post-mortem  a.£air,  and  takes  place  after  death,  in  Pur- 
gatory. While  the  priest  may  absolve  the  sinner  from 
his  giiilt,  it  is  necessary  that  he  shonld  nevertheless  pass 
through  Purgatorial  fires  in  order  to  be  thoronghly  re- 
fined and  freed  from  sin.  But  we  insist  that  this  is  sheer 
nonsense — that  the  Bible  makes  no  mention  of  a  Pnrgatory, 
but  rather  teaches  thet  death  leaves  us  the  Judgment 
will  find  us.  It  he^  ":r:ei  e^bserved  that  even  they  who 
advocate  this  theory  seem  to  believe  that  the  time  their 


SIX  THEORIES  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 


25 


dupes  should  spend  in  Purgatory  might  be  determined 
by  the  size  of  the  purse  of  the  deceased.  If  they  or  their 
friends  have  plenty  m.oney  the  priest  will  engage  to  pray 
them  out  speedily ;  but  where  the  necessary  fee  is  not  forth- 
coming, the  deceased  are  left  to  sweat  it  through  Purgatory 
as  best  they  may.  How  any  sensible  person  could 
accept  such  a  delusion  is  indeed  a  mystery.  Since  Jesus 
has  given  definite  promise  concerning  ^^every  branch  that 
beareth  fruit,  He  purgeth  it/^  (John  15:2)  I  prefer  to 
trust  Him  for  the  purging,  rather  than  humanly  in- 
vented purgatorial  fires. 

FIFTH  THEORY. 

The  fifth  theory  is  the  Calvinistic,  Kesv/ickian  Antino- 
mian  theory  of  repression  and  imputed,  holiness  as  op- 
posed to  the  Wesleyan  theory  of  eroAication  of  inbred  sin 
and  imparted  holiness.  Says  one  of  their  wTiters,  ^^He 
who  is  our  Great  High  Priest  before  God  is  pure,  without 
sin.  God  sees  Him  as  such,  and  He  stands  for  us  who  are 
His  people,  and  xve  are  accepted  in  Him.  His  holiness 
is  ours  by  imputation.  Standing  in  Him  we  are  in  the 
sight  of  God,  holy  as  Christ  is  holy,  and  pure  as  Christ  is 
pure.  God  looks  at  our  representative,  and  He  sees  us  in 
Him.  We  are  complete  in  Him  who  is  our  spotless  and 
glorious  Head.^^  According  to  this  theory  the  individual  in 
reality  can  never  become  holy;  that  while  he  within  him- 
self is  not  holy,  Christ^s  holiness  is  imputed  to  him,  and 
for  His  sake  the  individual  is  accounted  holy.  This 
theory  clearly  makes  void  such  passages  as  I  John  1:7, 
"The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin^^;  or  Eom.  6:22,  "But  now  being  made  free  from 


26 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


sin/^  etc.  According  to  this  theory  Satan  has  despoiled 
the  holiness  and  image  of  God  in  man  and  Christ  cannot 
restore  it.  What  folly.  ^^Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
for  they  shall  see  God.^^ 

THE   SIXTH  THEORY. 

The  sixth  theory  is^  that  sanctification  is  an  experience 
subsequent  to  regeneration^  conditioned  upon  entire  conse- 
cration and  faith^  the  privilege  of  every  believer^  to  be  ex- 
perienced and  enjoyed  in  this  life.  That  by  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  inbred  sin  is  destroyed  and  the  heart 
perfected  in  love.  The  people  holding  this  theory  are 
the  only  people  whO;,  personally^  have  any  experience  or 
testimony  to  sanctification.  These  believe  that  sin  has 
never  gone  so  deep  into  the  soul,  but  that  the  blood  of 
Jesus  can  go  deeper.  ^^That  where  sin  abounded  grace 
did  much  more  abound.^^  Jesus  believed  sanctification  a 
divine  act,  for  He  pra3^ed  the  Father  to  sanctify  the  dis- 
ciples, John  17:17.  Indeed,  the  Trinity  enters  into  our 
sanctification.  God  the  Father  wills  our  sanctification, 
I  Thess.  4:3.  In  order  to  provide  our  sanctification  Jesus 
suffered  without  the  gate,  Heb.  13 :12.  And  the  Holy 
Ghost  witnesses  to  our  sanctification,  Heb.  10 :14, 15.  It  is 
said  of  Bible  saints,  they  were  ^^sanctified  by  God  the 
Father,^^  Jude  1:1;  also  that  Jesus  sanctifies,  E'ph.  5:25- 
27 ;  and  of  the  offering  up  of  the  Gentiles  it  was  said  they 
were  "sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost.^^  Eom.  15:16.  In 
Acts  26:18  we  find  that  sanctification  is  obtained  by 
faith.  Seeing  it  is  a  work  that  God  must  do  for  us,  we 
need  not  wait  for  growth,  death  or  purgatory,  but  may 
by  faith  enter  this  blessed  experience  the  instant  the  con- 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


27 


secration  is  entire  and  complete.  While  there  is  a  gradual 
approach  to  the  experience  from  the  human  side,  the  di-. 
vine  work  is  instantaneous.  Hallelujah! 


SANCTIFICATION   AND    ENTIRE  SANCTIFI- 
CATION. 

These  terms,  as  relating  to  personal  experience,  are  fre- 
quently used  interchangeably,  as  though  they  were  syno- 
nymous, although,  critically  speaking,  they  are  not  the  same. 
Many  of  the  early  writers,  as  did  Mr.  Wesley,  clearly 
distinguished  between  sanctification  and  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  or  the  being  wholly  sanctified.  To  see  the  propriety 
and  scripturalness  of  this  distinction  one  need  only  bear 
in  mind  the  two-fold  definition  of  the  word  sanctification, 
given  and  acknowledged  by  all  our  dictionaries  and  com- 
mentaries, as  may  perhaps  best  be  stated  in  the  language 
of  Adam  Clark,  in  commenting  on  the  prayer  of  Jesus, 
^^Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth;  thy  word  is  truth.'' 
He  says,  *This  word  has  two  meanings :  1.  It  signifies  to 
consecrate,  to  separate  from  earthly  and  common  use  and 
to  devote  or  dedicate  to  God  and  His  service.  .2.  It  signi- 
fies to  make  holy  or  pure.  The  prayer  of  Christ  may  be 
understood  in  both  these  senses.''  To  these  two  definitions 
there  is  a  substantial  agreement.  And  men  do  this  sub- 
ject gross  injustice,  and  convict  themselves  either  of  great 
ignorance,  or  of  wilful  deceit,  when  they  insist  that  sanc- 
tification refers  exclusively  to  a  ^^setting  apart  to  God  and 
his  service." 

As  stated  above,  ^^Sanctify"  does  mean,  ^^to  consecrate, 
to  separate,"  ^'to  devote  or  dedicate,"  '"but  it  also  signifies 


28 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


^^to  make  holy  or  piire/^  According  to  Webster^s  Dictionary 
it  means^  2.  "To  cleanse  from  moral  corruption  and  pol- 
lution^ to  purify.    John  17:17.     Esp.  (Theol.)  the  act  of 

God's  grace  by  which  the  affections  of  men  are  purified 
or  alienated  from  sin  and  the  world,  and  exalted  to  a 
supreme  love  to  God.^^  Passing  strange  it  is  that  multi- 
tudes never  seem  to  recognize  this  latter  definition. 

Having  this  two-fold  definition  clearly  in  mind,  it  may 
be  easily  understood  how  there  is  a  difference  in  being 
sanctified  in  part,  and  being  sanctified  entirely  or  wholly. 
So  far  as  the  human  side  of  sanctification  is  concerned, 
namely,  that  of  "consecration/^  ''^separation/^  "dedication^' 
or  "devotement/^  it  may  be  said,  just  in  so  far  as  the  in- 
dividual has  thus  "consecrated,^'  "separated.''  "dedicated" 
and  "devoted"  himself  to  God,  for  the  purpose  of  being 
thus  purified  and  made  holy,  thus  far  he  has  sanctified 
himself.  However,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  this  conse- 
cration, separation,  dedication  and  devotement  is  to  God, 
and  not  to  any  particular  work  or  calling,  as  is  frequently 
done;  and  that  this  consecration  must  have  as  its  objective 
point  the  purifying  and  cleansing  of  the  heart  from  all 
sin,  before  it  can  be  regarded  as  any  part  of  entire  sancti- 
fication. While  in  the  wilderness,  the  children  of  Israel 
doubtless  frequently  left  their  tents,  for  various  reasons 
other  than  that  of  crossing  the  J ordan,  and  therefore  this 
leaving  of  their  tents  could  not  be  regarded  as  any  part 
of  the  necessary  steps  for  reaching  the  promised  land.  But 
on  a  certain  day  it  was  said,  with  the  distinct  object  of 
crossing  Jordan  into  Canaan,  "Sanctify  ourselves.'^  "and 
it  came  to  pass,  when  the  people  removed  from  their  tents 
to  pass  over  Jordan/'  "that  the  waters  which  came  down 


SANCTIFICATICN  AND  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION.  29 

from  above  stood  and  rose  up  upon  an  heap/^  &c.  It  was 
only  when  they  sanctified  themselves  and  ^^removed  from 
their  tents^^  for  the  express  purpose  of  crossing  ''over  Jor- 
dan," that  removing  from  their  tents  could  be  regarded  as 
any  part  of  the  steps  necessary  to  entering  Canaan.  Hence, 
a  person  may  be  consecrated,  separated,  devoted  and  dedi- 
cated to  a  work,  or  to  God,  for  the  performance  of  that 
certain  work,  and  yet  such  consecration  or  devotement 
could  not  be  regarded  as  any  part  of  entire  sanctification, 
as  the  consecration  thus  made  does  not  contemplate  the 
individuaFs  entire  sanctification,  and  is  made  for  an  en- 
tirely different  purpose. 

And  in  this  connection  it  is  well  to  note  that  this  human 
side  of  sanctification, — which  is  but  the  approach  to,  and 
the  condition  of  entire  sanctification — may  be  gradual. 
That  is,  the  individual  may  be  sometime  in  entirely  com- 
pleting this  ^^separationV  "dedications^  and  •^"^devotement^s 
of  his  all  to  God.  But  the  moment  this  human  side  of 
sanctification  is  completed,  and  every  condition  met,  faith 
in  reality  x^touching  the  promise,  the  divine  side 
of  sanctification,  which  is  "to  make  holy  or  pure  f  to  make 
free  from  sin,  to  cleanse  from  moral  corruption  and  pollu- 
tion, to  purify,'^  is  instantaneously  and  divinely  inwrought 
by  the  application  of  the  virtue  of  the  atonement  through 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the  language  of  Adam 
Clark:  "Neither  the  gradatim  pardon  nor  the  seriatim 
purification  exists  in  the  Bible.^^  Mr.  Wesley  said,  "To 
talk  of  this  work  (entire  sanctification)  as  being  gradual, 
would  be  nonsense,  as  much  as  if  we  talked  of  gradual 
justification.^^  "As  to  the  manner,  I  believe  this  perfection 


30 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


is  always  wrought  in  the  soul  by  a  simple  act  of  faith  ; 
consequently  in  an  instant/^ 

In  justice  to  those  who  differ  with  us,  it  is  proper  that 
we  say,  Mr.  Wesley  did  recognize  this  two-fold  definition 
of  sanctification,  and  so  taught  that  ^'at  the  same  time  that 
we  are  justified,  yea,  at  that  very  moment  sanctification 
begins  {Idem,  p.  237)  ^Trom  the  time  of  our  being  born 
again,  the  gradual  work  of  sanctification  takes  place/' 
{Idem,  p.  238).  But  to  infer  that  by  this  he  taught  or  be- 
lieved that  the  divine  side  of  sanctification,  the  making 
^Tioly  or  pure,'^  "to  make  free  from  sin^^ — was  gradual  is 
to  make  Mr.  Wesley  contradict  himself.  In  his  Journal, 
under  date  of  May  21,  1761,  Mr.  Wesley  wrote  of  those 
who  had  sought  sanctification  by  works,  and  "thought  it 
was  to  come  gradually,^^  "WTiat  wonder  is  it,  then,  that  you 
have  been  fighting  all  these  years  as  one  that  beateth  the 
air?^^ 

To  teach  that  the  divine  work  of  sanctification  in  the 
purifying  and  cleansing  of  the  heart  from  all  sin  is  a 
gradual  work  would  be  to  admit  that  a  heart  might  be 
a  little  holy,  more  holy  and  most  holy,  so  that  it  might  be- 
come exceedingly  difficult  to  know  just  in  what  degree  of 
holiness  the  individual  experience  might  be  located.  And 
how  to  pronounce  a  heart  holy  that  had  yet  any  trace  of 
sin  in  it,  would  be  another  difficulty;  and  then  in  case 
death  should  overtake  the  individual  before  he  had  reached 
the  third  degree  of  holiness,  where  he  might  be  said  to 
be  most  holy,  there  might  be  another  embarrassing  diffi- 
culty, seeing  that  holiness — freedom  from  all  sin — is  the 
only  condition  or  fitness  for  seeing  God. 

"The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly;  and  I  pray 


DISTINCTIONS  BETWEEN  JUSTIFICATION  AND  SANCTIFICATION.  3T 


God  your  whole  spirit^  and  soul^  and  body  be  pre- 
served blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our  ^ord 
Jesus  Christ.  Faithful  is  He  that  calleth  you  who 
also  will  do  it/'  1  Thes.  5:23,  24.  Thank  God,  the 
promise  of  cleansing  from  ^^all  sin''  is  in  the  present 
tense.  ^If  w^e  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in  the  light,  we 
have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  1  Jno.  1:7. 
The  human  side  of  sanctification  may  be  partial  or  gradual, 
but  entire  sanctification  in  which  the  heart  is  cleansed  from 
all  sin,  is  always  instantaneous  and  complete. 


DISTINCTIONS   BETWEEN  JUSTIFICATION 
AND  SANCTIFICATION. 

(The  terms  Justification  and  Sanctification  are  not 
used  in  a  technical  or  critical  sense,  but  rather  in  a  gen- 
;eral  sense  as  referring  to  experience.) 

In  Justification  there  is  life. 

In  Sanctification  there  is  life  more  abundant. 

In  Justification  there  is  love. 

In  Sanctification  there  is  perfect  love  which  casteth 
out  fear. 

In  Justification  the  ^^old  man''  is  repressed. 
In  Sanctification  the  ^^old  man"  is  destroyed. 

In  Justification  there  is  "^"^peace  with  God." 
In  Sanctification  there  is  '^the  peace  of  God." 


32  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 

Justification  gives  ns  a  right  to  heaven. 
Sanctification  gives  the  fitness  for  heaven. 

In  Justification  we  *^put  on  the  nev^  man.^^ 

In  Sanctification  we  ^^put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds  ^' 

In  Justification  there  is  joy — intermittent  joy. 

In  Sanctification  there  is  fullness  of  joy — abiding  joy. 

Justification  includes  pardon^  which  is  a  judicial  act. 
Sanctification  includes  a  cleansing^  which  is  a  priestly 
function. 

Justification  is  obtained  by  surrender^  repentance  and 
faith. 

Sanctification  is  obtained  by  obedience^  consecration  and 
faith. 

Justification  delivers  from  guilt  and  condemnation. 
Sanctification  delivers  from  unholy  tempers  and  ab- 
normal appetites. 

In  Justification  the  Holy  Spirit  is  with  the  believer. 
In  Sanctification  the  Holy  Spirit    is  in  the  believer. 
(John  14:17.) 

Justification  comprehends  adoption;  making  us  child- 
ren of  God. 

Sanctification  comprehends  anointings  making  us  king« 
and  priests  unto  God. 

Justification  separates  us  from  the  worlds  so  we  are 
no  longer  of  the  world. 

Sanctification  takes  the  world  out  of  us;  worldly  de- 
sires and  ambitions. 


DISTINCTIONS  BETWEEN  JUSTIFICATION  AND  SANCTIFICATION.  33 

Justification  is  illustrated  by  the  rescue  of  the  sink- 
ing man  from  the  water. 

Sanctification  is  getting  the  water  out  of  the  lungs  of 
the  drowning  man. 

Justification  is  conditioned  on  confession  of  sin. 
(1  John  1:9.) 

Sanctification  is  conditioned  on  walking  ^'in  the  light 
as  He  is  in  the  light.''  (1  John  1:7.) 

Justification  has  to  do  with  sin  as  an  act — sins  com- 
mitted. 

Sanctification  has  to  do  with  sin  as  a  principle — the 
sin  nature  we  inherited. 

Justification  comes  by  the  birth  of  the  Spirit — when 
the  repentant  sinner  is  born  again. 

Sanctification  comes  by  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit — 
when  the  believer  has  a  personal  pentecost. 

Justification  restores  to  us  the  favor  of  God  which  we 
had  lost  through  our  own  disobedience. 

Sanctification  restores  to  us  holiness  or  the  moral  like- 
ness of  God;,  which  we  had  lost  through  Adam's  diso- 
bedience. 

Justification  is  the  impartation  of  a  spiritual  nature, 
bringing  us  into  possession  of  eternal  life. 

Sanctification  is  the  crucifixion  and  destruction  of  our 
carnal  nature;,  making  us  dead  indeed  unto  sin. 

Justification  destroys  the  ^^shoots"  of  sin. 
Sanctification  destroys  the  "roots"  of  sin. 


34 


ENTIRE  SAXCTIFICATIOX. 


Justification  makes  us  free— free  from  outward  sin  and 
condemnation. 

Sanctification  makes  ''free  indeed.**  Gives  the  ^*'deed^' 
to  our  freedom  with  all  the  mortgages  paid  off.  Freedom 
from  fear^  and  doubt,  and  pride,  etc. 

In  Justification  we  are  united  to  Christ  as  the  branch 
to  the  vine. 

In  Sanctification  we  receive  the  purging  promised  to  the 
living,  fruitful  vine^  that  we  may  ''"hring  forth  more 
fruit.'"  (John  15  :2.) 

In  Justification  the  experience  is  a  'Veil  of  water/' 
(John  4:1-1:).    A  well  is  for  personal  use. 

In  Sanctification  there  is  a  fullness  of  blessing  so  that 
out  of  our  inward  parts  ''shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.'^ 
(John  6:38-39).  A  river  cannot  be  confined  to  personal 
use,  but  will  bless  and  fructify  wherever  it  flows. 

JrsTiFiCATTOX :  "The  forensic,  judicial  or  gracious  act 
of  God  by  which  the  sinner  is  declared  righteous,  or  justly 
free  from  the  obligation  to  penalty  and  fully  restored  to 
divine  favor.*' — Standard  Dictionary. 

Saxctificatiox  :  '"To  make  holy;  cleanse  from  sin. 
Speciflcally  in  theology,  the  gracious  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  whereby  tlie  heliever  is  freed  from  sin,  and  exalted 
to  holiness  of  heart  and  life/' — Standard  Dictionary, 


JUSTIFICATION  NOT  A  HALF  WAY  WORK. 


35 


JUSTIFICATION  NOT  A  HALF  WAY  WORK. 

It  is  urged  by  those  who  are  averse  to  the  ''^second 
blessing^^  that  in  order  to  miake  place  for  a  second  ex- 
perience the  holiness  people  are  under  the  necessity  of 
minifying  and  depreciating  the  work  of  justification . 

There  is  no  occasion  to  minify  justification^  and  the 
facts  are,  no  one  more  fully  appreciates  and  ma  sonifies  the 
work  of  justification  than  sanctified  people.  Instead  of 
paying  that  justification  is  but  a  half-wiy  work,  thry  l)e- 
lieve  that  jr^stification  comprehends  at  Vast  ten  perfect 
workS;,  viz. : 

1.  Conviction,  The  Holy  Spirit  alone  can  fully  awaken 
and  convict  the  world  ^^of  sin  and  of  righteousness  and  of 
judgment.^^  Genuine  Holy  Ghost  conviction  must  pre- 
cede repentance;  conviction  for  sin  is  within  itself  a  per- 
fect work. 

2.  Surrender,  There  must  be  a  complete  yielding — an 
unconditional  surrender  to  God.  God  will  never  save  a 
man  who  insists  on  dictating  terms.  The  mental  reser- 
vation of  one  sin^  or  hesitation  to  comply  with  one  con- 
dition^ will  mean  darkness^  condemnation  and  loss  of  the 
soul.    The  surrender  must  be  complete  and  entire. 

3.  Repentance.  Repentance  toward  God  is  indispens- 
able to  Bible  salvation.  The  lack  of  genuine  repentance 
accounts  for  much  of  the  superficiality  of  religion  in  these 
days.  Eepentance  comprehends  at  least  five  distinct 
things,  to  wit:  A  consciousness  of  sin  and  guilt;  a  deep 
heart  sorrow  for  sin;  the  confession  of  sin;  restitution; 
and  the  abandonment  of  sin.  Hepentance  is  within  itself 
a  perfect  work. 


36 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


4.  Pardon.  When  there  is  genuine  repentance  God 
grants  a  full  and  free  pardon.  Not  half  our  sins^  but  every 
ein  ever  committed  is  fully  pardoned^  never  to  be  re- 
membered against  us.  This  takes  place  in  the  thought  of 
God,  and  is  something  done  for  us.  The  pardon  of  sins 
is  a  perfect  work  within  itself. 

5.  Regeneration,  The  quickening  of  the  soul  into  new- 
ness of  life;  the  impartation  of  divine,  spiritual  and  eternal 
life.  The  soul  regenerated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  made 
partially  alive,  but  fully  alive,  so  that  it  can  be  said, 
"We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life.^' 

6.  Washing  of  Regeneration,  Sin  defiles  and  pollutes. 
Hence  men  not  only  need  pardon,  but  washing  and  cleans- 
ing from  this  acquired  pollution  resulting  from  their  sins. 
This  is  termed  "the  washing  of  regeneration/'  and  includes 
that  work  of  the  Spirit  in  which  He  did  "purge  your 
conscience  from  dead  works/^  This,  too,  is  a  gracious  and 
complete  work. 

7.  Adoption,  The  person  fully  pardoned  is  now;  adopt- 
ed into  the  family  of  God ;  not  partially  adopted,  but  fully 
adopted,  and  "the  Spirit  of  adoption^^  given  in  his  heart, 
whereby  he  cries,  "Abba,  Father.^^  His  name  is  written  in 
heaven,  and  he  becomes  a  son  of  God — an  heir  of  God 
and  a  joint  heir  with  Christ.  Adoption  is  within  itself 
another  perfect  work. 

8.  Witness  of  the  Spirit,  "The  Spirit  itself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God.'^ 

When  the  soul  finds  acceptance  with  God  there  is  the  divine 
attestation — the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to  the  inner  con- 


JUSTIFICATION  NOT  A  HALF  WAY  WORK. 


37 


cciousness^  giving  knowledge  and  assurance,  so  there  can 
be  no  doubt  or  uncertainty  as  to  the  question  of  our  ac- 
ceptance with  God ;  a  telegram  from  the  skies,  a  certificate 
signed  in  heaven — the  voice  of  God  in  the  soul,  bringing 
confidence,  gladness  and  assurance  forever.  These  latter 
five  usually  occur  simultaneously. 

9.  Power,  ^'As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave 
He  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God.^^  This  is  power  to 
resist  temptation  and  do  the  will  of  God.  The  second- 
blessing  people  are  about  the  only  people  who  really  believe 
and  teach  that  ^Svhosoever  is  boml  of  God  doth  not  commit 
ein.^'  They  insist  that  justification  will  save  men  from 
Binning;  in  so  saying  they  magnify  the  work  of  justifi- 
cation, while  they  who  insist  on  a  '^sinning  religion'^ 
greatly  minify  justification.  A  justification  that  saves 
from  sinning  is  a  perfect  work. 

10.  Faith.  ^^Without  faith  it  is  inxpossible  to  please 
Him.'^  The  exercise  of  a  perfect  faith,  appropriating  and 
resting  upon  the  word  of  God,  is  one  of  the  conditions 
of  light  and  life  in  the  soul.  ^"^He  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned.^^  ^Therefore,  being  justified  by  faith  we  have 
peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

All  persons  truly  justified  have  experienced  these  ten 
points.  But  all  this  has  to  do  with  sins  committed,  and 
is  only  preparatory  to  sanctification.  Sanctification 
deals  with  altogether  a  different  problem,  namely,  in- 
herited sin — the  crucifixion  of  "our  old  man."  Justifica- 
tion is  the  foundation  upon  which  rests  the  superstructure 
of  sanctification.  Justification  is  an  excellent  experience, 
but  sanctification  is  a  "more  excellent"  experience. 


38  ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 

SANCTIFICATION  A  SECOND  BLESSING. 

'^Christ  also  loved  the  Church  and  gave  Himself  for 
it;  that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it/'  Sanctifica- 
tion  was  never  provided  for  nor  promised  to  the  world, 
but  to  the  Church ;  the  Church  h  not  made  of  sinners,  but 
of  true  believers  who  have  been  born  again. 

Mr.  John  Wesley,  in  writing  to  Miss  Jane  Hilton,  in 
1774,  said,  *^t  is  exceedingly  certain  that  God  did  give 
you  the  second  blessing,  properly  so  called.  Hei  delivered 
you  from  the  root  of  bitterness,  from  inbred  as  well  as  ac- 
tual sin.^^  (Vol.  8,  p.  45.)  He  used  the  same  phrase  with 
reference  to  sanctification  on  other  occasions.  Mr.  Charles 
Wesley  called  it  ^^that  second  rest"  Martin  Luther  re- 
ferred to  it  as  a  "second  conversion  Andrew  Murray 
has  referred  to  this  grace  as  a  "second  crisis.^^  Paul,  in 
writing  to  the  Church  at  Corinth,  spoke  of  a  "second 
benefit or  as  the  margin  gives  it,  "a  second  grace.^'  (2. 
Cor.  1:15. 

But  why  call  it  a  "second  blessing'^  ?  Because  such  it  is. 
We  have  frequently  heard  the  objector  say,  sneeringly: 
"I  have  not  only  received  the  'second  blessing/  but  I  have 
received  hundreds  of  blessings/^  And  yet,  strange  to 
say,  this  same  person  was  averse  to  the  preaching  of  a 
"second  blessing'^  and  became  offended  when  other  people 
sought  and  professed  the  same.  A  man  who  could  lay 
claim  to  a  hundred  blessings  certainly  should  not  object 
to  those  who  insist  on  having  at  least  a  '^second  blessing.^' 
The  facts  are,  a  man  may  have  a  hundred  blessings  and 
not  have  "the  second  blessing,  properly  so  called.^^  In- 
deed a  sinner  might  boast  of  a  hundred  blessings,  and  still 
be  without  hope — a  lost  souL   Life,  health,  food^  Chris- 


SANCTIFICATION   A   SECOND  BLESSING.  39 

tian  parentage,  an  open  Bible,  church  privileges,  convic- 
tion, etc.,  etc.,  should  all  be  counted  as  blessings. 

Sanctification  is  the  "second  blessing''  exactly  in  the 
same  sense  that  justification  is  the  first  blessing.  Justifi- 
cation is  the  first  blessing  that  changes  our  moral  condition 
and  our  personal  relation  toward  God.  In  justification 
we  are  changed  from  the  attitude  and  relation  of  enemies 
and  rebels  toward  God  into  that  of  obedient  childreii.  It 
certainly  is  a  blessing — ^but  it  is  more,  it  is  a  grace  that 
transforms  and  transposes  into  a  permanent  state  and 
experience.  Until  this  experience,  all  other  blessings  left 
the  individual  in  the  same  moral  condition  they  had  found 
him.  So,  after  a  person  is  fully  justified,  he  may  re- 
ceive not  only  many  temporal^  but  many  spiritual  bless- 
ings— prayer  meeting  and  campmeeting  blessings — which 
will  greatly  refresh^  and  help,  and  encourage,  and  yet  they 
will  not  eradicate  inbred  sin,  and  make  him^  holy;  if  he 
was  given  to  fear  or  impatience  or  doubt,  or  any  other 
carnal  manifestations,  those  same  conditions  will  con- 
tinue to  exist  after  the  "hundreds  of  blessings'^  have  come 
and  gone. 

Exactly  as  justification  is  the  first  blessing  that  effects 
a  permanent  inward  change,  so  sanctification  is  the  "sec- 
ond blessing,"  hence,  "properly  so  called."  While  justi- 
fication comprehends  pardon,  regeneration  and  adoption, 
making  us  children  of  God,  sanctification  compre- 
hends the  full  eradication  of  the  carnal  mind, 
the  inbred  sin,  and  the  baptism  and  anointing  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  making  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God. 
Whereas  justification  delivers  us  from  sins  com- 
mitted, sin  as  an  act,  sanctification  delivers  us  from'  the 


40 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


Bin-nature  inherited — sin  as  a  principle;  justification  de- 
livers lis  from  giiilt  and  condemnation  while  sanctifica- 
tion  delivers  ns  from  imholv  appetites :  the  first  gives  tL3 
the  birth  of  the  Spir": :  the  second,  the  baptism  with  the 
Spirit.  Just  as  cenainlv  as  justification  marks  a  distinct 
epoch  and  crisis  in  the  life  of  those  receiving  it,  just  so 
certainly  sanctification  marks  a  second  epochs  a  second 
crisis,  a  second  experience,  and  therefore  is  a  "second 
blessing,  properly  so  called.*^ 

Again^  it  is  urged  t::?.:  the  term  ^'second,  llesfing^^  is 
not  in  the  Bible  and  therefore  must  not  be  used.  VThilf 
we  admit  that  this  exact  phrase  is  not  in  the  Bible,  we  do 
insist  that  the  equivalent^  that  which  can  mean  nothing 
else,  is  in  the  Bible.  Such  it  is  in  every  case  where  sanc- 
tification, holiness,  terfec-tion,  etc..  is  urrei  u^:on  the 
church — which  is  mafe  v/o  of  those  who  are  already  ^^in 
Christ.^^  Who  would  think  of  objecting  to  the  terms,  ^'ihe 
new  lirtJi/'  ''salvation  from  sin/'  "'a  cJiild  of  God/'  eic , 
and  yet  these  exact  phrases  cannot  be  foimd  in  the  Bible; 
however,  we  have  their  equivalent  over  and  over  and  there-' 
fore  these  terms  are  perfectly  proper.  Seeing  that  sanc- 
tification is  a  ^'second  blessing-,  properly  so  called'^  there 
can  be  no  reasonable  objection  to  the  use  of  the  term. 


THAT  "SOMETHING." 

knew  Jesus  and  He  was  precious  to  my  soul;  but  I 
found  something  within  that  would  not  be  sweet,  and 
patient  and  kind;  I  did  what  I  could  to  keep  it  down,  but 
it  was  there;  I  besought  Jesus  to  do  something  for  me, 
and  when  I  gave  Him  my  will  He  came  in,  and  took  out 


THAT  SOMETHING. 


41 


all  that  would  not  be  sweet  and  patient  and  kind,  and 
then  He  shut  the  door/^  Thus  testified  George  Fox,  the 
founder  of  the  Society  of  Friends^  more  than  two  centuries 
ago.  After  he  ^^knew  Jesus^^  there  was  still  "something 
within"  which  was  antagonistic  to  the  spiritual  life  im- 
planted; nor  was  this  experience  peculiar  to  him  alone. 
Such  is  indeed  the  experience  of  every  new  born  and  truly 
regenerated  soul.  While  they  may  not  understand  the 
Eubject  of  entire  sanctification,  and  perhaps  never  have 
heard  of  the  ^^aecond  blessing/^  yet,  a  young  convert  seldom 
goes  three  months  in  the  new  found  experience,  until  he 
becomes  painfully  conscious  that  there  remains  a  "some- 
thing within^^  that  hinders,  and  retards  his  spiritual  prog- 
ress, and  often  becomes  a  source  of  much  distress. 

The  manifestations  of  that  "something'^  vary,  but  fre- 
quently the  first  showing  of  it  is  in  a  man-fearing  spirit, 
or  anger,  or  a  disposition  to  doubt,  or  an  unf  orgiving  spirit, 
etc.  Then  comes  frequently  the  temptation,  that  perha^.^, 
after  all  there  had  not  been  a  true  conversion  or  these 
things  would  not  manifest  themselves,  and  because  they 
had  not  been  properly  instructed,  many  have  wearied  of  the 
conflict  and  struggle  and  have  cast  away  their  confidence. 

The  Bible  name  for  that  "something'^  is,  "the  carnal 
mind^^  which,  "is  enmity  against  God:  for  it  is  not  sub- 
ject to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be'^  Eom.  8 :7. 
Paul  said  of  the  Corinthians,  "I  thank  my  God  always 
on  your  behalf,  for  the  grace  of  God  which  is  given  you 
by  Jesus  Christ,^^  and  said,  because  they  were  ^TDabes  in 
Christ/'  "I  have  fed  you  with  milk,''  "ye  are  yet  carnal", 
thus  showing  that  the  carnal  mind  is  not  eradicated  in 
conversion,  but  still  continues  in  those  who  are  "in  Christ 


42 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


for  a  %abe  in  Christ^^  is  just  as  certainly  ^^in  Christ'^  as 
an  adult  in  Christ  is  in  Christ. 

Then  again  the  Bible  speaks  of  that  ''something''  as 
"the  flesh;''  "The  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the 
Spirit  against  the  flesh  and  these  are  contrary  the  one 
to  the  other,  so  that  ye  cannot  do  the  things  that  ye  would/^ 
Gal.  5:17.  Here  the  dual  nature  is  clearly  set  forth,  and 
the  inward  conflict  indicated.  While  the  man  has  "the 
Spirit''  (which  would  not  apply  to  a  sinner)  he  also  has 
a  something  antagonistic  to  the  Spirit,  called  here  "the 
flesh."  But  in  verse  24,  we  read,  "And  they  that  are 
Christ's  have  crucified  the  flesh,"  showing  that  the  di- 
vine process  for  that  "something"  is  not  pardon,  nor  sup- 
pression, but  crucifixion,  which  signifies  that  there  is 
something  to  die  and  thus  to  be  destroyed. 

Other  names  given  in  the  Bible  for  that  "something" 
is,  "sin  that  dwelleth  in  me,"  "the  law  of  sin"  "the  body 
of  this  death"  "the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset"  "the 
sin  of  the  world"  "the  body  of  sin",  "our  old  man"  etc., 
all  of  which  have  reference  to  that  "something  within" 
remaining  after  we  are  converted;  in  common  parlance  it 
is  called  "Inbred  sin",  "depravity"  "our  evil  nature" 
"original  sin"  our  "Adamic  nature,"  etc.  All  of  these 
terms  are  synonymous,  and  refer  to  this  identical  "some- 
thing within"  which  is  the  common  heritage  of  every 
child  of  Adam.  God's  method  and  purpose  is  to  "crucify" 
and  "destroy"  that  something — "our  old  man" — ^so  that 
we  are  "dead  indeed  unto  sin."  The  sins  committed  may 
be  pardoned,  but  this  "something"can  not  be  pardoned  for 
the  simple  reason  we  did  not  commit  the  same;  it  was 
born  in  us,  and  as  the  Anglican  Confession  says,  "This 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SANCTIFICATION. 


43 


infection  of  nature  doth  remain,  yea,  even  in  them  that 
have  been  regenerated/^  But  thank  God,  there  is  power 
in  Jesus^  blood  to  eliminate  and  destroy  it.  ^'^Knowing 
this,  that  our  old  man  is  crucified  with  him,  that  the  body 
of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that  henceforth  we  should  not 
serve  sin/^  Eom.  6  :6.  This  deliverance  is  what  Mr.  Wes- 
ley termed  ^^the  second  blessing  properly  so  called.^^  This 
is  sanctification,  and  is  the  privilege  of  every  believer,  as 
pardon  is  the  privilege  of  every  penitent  sinner. 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SANCTIFICATION. 

1.  Justification. 

A  clear-cut,  definite  experience  in  pardon  and  regenera- 
tion. While  there  is  a  lingering  doubt  about  your  accept- 
ance with  God — any  back  account,  or  ^^unfinished  busi- 
ness^^ — the  soul  cannot  exercise  intelligent  faith  for  sancti- 
fication. Sanctification  is  no  where  in  the  Bible  proffered 
to  sinners,  nor  to  backsliders,  but  in  every  instance  to  justi- 
fied believers.  ^^Christ  also  loved  the  Church,  and  gave 
Himself  for  it;  that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it.^^ 
Eph.  5  :25,  26.  A  sinner  or  backslider  does  not  belong  to 
''the  Church/'  and  therefore  is  not  eligible  to  sanctifica- 
tion. 

2.  Definite  seeking. 

A  sinner  may  pray  for  pardon  in  an  indefinite,  round- 
about way  for  forty  years  and  never  obtain  pardon.  But 
when  he  definitely  repents  and  seeks  God  with  all  his 
heart  he  soon  finds  Him  in  the  pardon  of  sin.  Exactly  so 
a  Christian  may  pray  and  seek  for  a  ^Tiigher  life/^  a 


44 


ENTIRE  SAXCTIFICATION'. 


''deeper  work  of  grace/"  ''more  religion/''  or  to  get  '^nearer 
to  Jesus/'  etc.,  etc..  for  fort}'  years  and  never  get  sancti- 
fied. But  when  a  person  seeks  definitely  to  be  sanctified 
vrholly.  and  desperately  and  persistently  strikes  out  across 
lots  to  find  sanctification.  sucli  a  soul  will  speedily  and 
surely  obtain  this  great  experience. 

8.    Peefzct  obediexce. 

It  is  positively  necessar}'  that  the  soul  welcome  and 
walk  in  all  the  light  that  God  has  given.  Jesus  had  said 
to  the  disciples,.  "Tarry  ye  in  the  City  of  Jerusalem.'' 
Suppose  they  had  said  "Jerusalem  is  in  an  uproar^  the  mob 
that  has  cracified  our  Lord  is  still  there,,  and  our  own 
lives  would  be  greatly  in  peril  in  Jerusalem^  therefore  we 
will  go  out  to  Bethany,  or  up  to  Jericho^  or  some  other 
place  and  "'tarr}"*'  where  there  is  no  danger  of  our  being 
disturbed  or  molested/*'  this  might  have  been  regarded  as 
good  reasoning  and  sound  logic  for  the  worldly  wise^  but 
would  have  been  direct  disobedience  and  would  have  for- 
feited to  them  the  promise,  and  defeated  the  whole  purpose 
of  God.  Xo  use  asking  God  for  more  light  unless  we  are 
v^illing  to  walk  in  all  the  light  He  has  given.  A  little 
brass  jeweln;.  or  a  plug  of  tobacco,  or  some  worldly  asso- 
ciation, or  some  questionable  indulgence,  etc.,  will  keep  a 
soul  out  of  the  blessing  of  sanctification  after  the  call  of 
God  has  come  to  abandon  the  same.  The  disobedient 
child  cannot  approach  the  parent  with  confidence.  "If 
our  heart  condemn  us  not,  then  have  we  confidence  toward 
God." 

4.    Entire  coxsecratiox. 

Consecration  is  not  the  surrender  of  something  evil. 


ESSENTIALS  TO  SANCTIFICATION. 


45 


but  the  offering  up  to  God^  unconditionally  that  which  is 
good.  The  soul  must  be  able  to  say^  in  the  language  of  the 
poet  : 

'^Here  I  give  my  all  to  Thee, 

Friends,  and  time,  and  earthly  store, 

Soul  and  body,  Thine  to  be — 
Wholly  Thine  for  evermore/^ 

Entire  consecration  means  the  giving  of  all  to  God — 
all  we  have  and  all  we  expect  to  have ;  all  we  are  and  all 
we  hope  to  be;  all  we  know  and  all  we  do  not  know,  with 
the  promise  of  an  eternal  "yes^^  to  all  the  will  of  God  for 
all  the  future.  It  is  not  consecration  to  a  work,  or  conse- 
cration to  a  certain  calling,  but  consecration  to  God.  It 
is  not  simply  a  desire  to  consecrate,  or  a  willingness  to 
consecrate  but  the  unconditional  and  irrevocable  signing 
of  the  deed  of  all  to  God  for  time  and  eternity. 

5.  Faith. 

^^Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  Him.^^  First 
there  must  be  faith  that  there  is  such  an  experience ;  then 
there  must  be  faith  that  this  experience  is  provided  for 
me,  and  that  by  meeting  the  conditions  I  can  obtain  it; 
then  we  need  appropriating  faith  which  lays  hold  on  the 
promise  and  believes  God  does  just  now  sanctify  me  be- 
cause He  said  so.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  believe  that  He 
can,  or  that  He  will  sanctify,  but  I  must  believe  that  He 
does  just  now  sanctify  me  because  I  have  met  the  con- 
ditions, and  He  does  His  part  according  to  His  promise. 
"Sanctified  by  faith.''  Acts  26  :18.  Amen. 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


SANCTIFICATION    INCLUDES  SEPARATION 
AND  CONSECRATION. 

Separation  is  not  consecration  and  consecration  is  not 
panctification ;  the  one  is  the  antecedent  of  the  other.  We 
have  known  a  people  who  greatly  emphasized  the  import- 
ance of  separation  from  the  world  who  nevertheless  were 
not  consecrated  to  God;  in  like  manner  we  have  known  a 
people  who  have  laid  much  stress  upon  consecration  who 
did  not  believe  in  sanctification. 

The  importance  of  separation  from  the  world  can 
scarcely  be  exaggerated — especially  so  in  view  of  the 
worldliness  that  has  crept  into  the  churches.  God  is  still 
sayings  "Be  ye  not  unequally  yoked  together  with  un- 
believers ;  for  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  un- 
righteousness ?  and  what  communion  hath  light  with  dark- 
ness *  *  *  *  wherefore  come  out  from  among  them,  and 
be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not  the  unclean 
thing:  and  I  will  receive  you.^^  (2  Cor.  6 :14-17.)  "Love  not 
the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the  world.  If 
any  man  love  the  world  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not 
in  Mm/'  (1  Jno.  2:15) ;  "Know  ye  not  that  the  friendship 
of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God  ?  whosoever  therefore  will 
be  a  friend  of  the  world  is  the  enemy  of  God.^^  (Jas.  4:4) 

Surely  these  passages  are  sufficiently  plain  for  all  to 
understand.  How  men  and  women  can  court  and  inter- 
marry with  the  world,  be  yoked  up  with  all  sorts  of  god- 
less secret  orders  and  worldly  fraternities,  follow  all  the 
fashions  of  dress  and  worldly  attire,  adorning  themselves 
by  the  "wearing  of  goW  and  "putting  on  of  appareP' 
which  is  positively  forbidden  by  the  Word  of  God,  and  yet 


SANCTIFICATION  INCLUDES   SEPARATION   AND  CONSECRATION.  47 

claim  to  be  followers  of  Christ,  and  in  some  instances  even 
profess  sanctification,  is  indeed  a  mystery.  "JSTo  man  can 
serve  two  masters/'  ^^Be  not  conformed  to  this  world,  but 
be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind.'' 

Being  separated  from  the  world  we  should  now  con- 
secrate ourselves  nnconditionally  to  God  for  time  and 
eternity,  to  be  at  His  disposal  for  any  service.  When  such 
a  consecration  is  once  made  there  can  be  no  re-consecra- 
tion. Ee-consecration  implies  that  something  has  been 
taken  back,  and  therefore  would  necessitate  repentance. 
It  is  not  consecration  to  a  work,  but  consecration  to  God, 
and  then  the  person  will  be  ready  for  any  work  in  which 
God  may  be  pleased  to  use  him.  Consecration  is  the 
presentation  of  ourselves  and  our  all  to  God  for  sacrifice  or 
service, — ''a  living  sacrifice''  and  is  the  pledge  of  an 
eternal  ^^yes^^  to  all  the  will  of  God,  henceforth  and  for- 
evermore. 

Consecration  is  the  condition  of  and  preparation  for 
sanctification.  But  while  a  person  may  declare  his  all 
on  the  altar,  it  requires  a  step  of  faith  in  which  the  pro^ 
visions  and  promises  of  God  for  the  cleansing  from  all 
sin  are  appropriated.  Having  done  our  part  in  making 
the  consecration  entire,  it  now  remains  for  us  to  believe 
that  God  accepts  and  sanctifies  the  gift.  However  it  is 
perfectly  easy  and  natural  for  us  to  believe  that  God  does 
His  part  w^hen  once  we  reach  the  confidence  and  assurance 
that  w^e  have  paid  the  price  of  an  unconditional,  irre- 
vocable and  eternal  abandonment  of  our  all  to  Him.  ^Tor 
whether  is  greater  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth 
the  gift.^'  (Matt,  23:19.) 


48 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


WHY  NOT  SANCTIFIED  WHEN  CONVERTED? 

1.  Because  it  is  contrary  to  the  \rord  of  God.  God 
could  do  many  things  He  does  not  do,  simply  because  it  is 
not  His  method  or  plan  of  doing.  He  could  make  twenty 
dollar  gold  pieces  grow  on  sycamore  trees  if  it  were  simply 
a  question  of  power;  but  such  is  not  His  way  of  doing. 
So  He  unquestionably  could  sanctify  a  man  wholly  at  the 
same  instant  He  pardons  his  sins,  but  this  is  not  His 
method  as  revealed  in  His  word.  He  has  never  called  or 
commanded  a  sinner  to  become  sanctified,  nor  has  He 
given  any  promises  of  sanctification  to  a  sinner.  In  every 
instance  where  the  command  or  pronxise  of  sanctification 
is  given  in  the  word  of  God  it  is  to  those  who  are  already 
His  people.  In  the  study  of  God^s  word  many  cases  can 
be  pointed  out  where  sanctification  was  not  accomplished 
in  conversion.  God  has  method  and  system  in  all  His 
works.  What  He  does  for  one  man  in  conversion  He  do^s 
for  others;  He  does  not  have  a  half  dozen  ways  of  con- 
verting folks.  The  manifestations  of  that  work  may  vary, 
but  the  same  work  is  divinely  inwrought. 

2.  The  sinner  does  not  realize  his  need  of  sanctifica- 
tion. The  one  thing  that  engages  the  attention  of  the 
penitent  sinner  is  his  guilt  and  condemnation,  and  the 
consequent  results  of  his  sins,  and  how  he  may  find  de- 
liverance and  obtain  the  favor  of  God.  Had  God  sancti- 
fied me  when  He  converted  me  He  would  have  done  so 
without  my  having  understood  my  need  or  privilege  of 
the  same  and  without  my  asking.  ISTo  sinner  feels  his 
need  of  sanctification,  nor  thinks  of  praying  God  to 
sanctify  him  when  under  conviction  for  sin  and  seeking 
pardon.   And  although  there  are  preachers  who  insist  that 


WHY  NOT  SANCTIFIED  WHEN  CONVERTED? 


49 


justification  and  sanctification  are  simultaneous^,  not  one 
would  invite  a  penitent  sinner  to  come  and  seek  sancti- 
fication. If  this  is  what  a  sinner  should  seek  and  expect  to 
receive  why  should  he  not  be  told  of  it?  After  peace  has 
been  obtained^  and  the  soul  has  the  consciousness  of  par- 
don^ and  comes  to  see  and  feel  its  need  of  deliverance  from 
"the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset/^  and  understands  that 
such  is  the  will  of  God  and  the  "inheritance  among  them 
which  are  sanctified  by  faith/^  there  can  be  intelligent  ask- 
ing and  compliance  with  conditions  and  proper  apprecia- 
tion of  the  gift  bestowed. 

3.  The  work  of  justification  and  the  work  of  sancti- 
fication deal  with  two  different  phases  of  sin;  the 
former  having  to  do  with  sins  committed — ^sin  as  an  act, 
while  sanctification  has  to  do  with  sin  inherited — sin  as  a 
principle  or  nature.  In  somie  particulars  these  works  of 
the  Spirit  are  antipodal — direct  opposites.  In  justifica- 
tion there  is  the  quickening  of  our  moral  na- 
tures— the  impartation  of  a  new  life ;  in  sanctification  there 
is  the  destruction^  and  crucifixion — the  deadening  of  our 
carnal  nature  "(our  old  man)^^  as  in  Eom.  6:6.  The 
first  a  making  alive  process;  the  second  a  deadening  pro- 
cess. Pardon  and  crucifixion  are  surely  not  identical.  Our 
sins  are  never  said  to  be  crucified^  nor  "our  old  man^^ 
pardoned.  This  could  not  be  so  in  the  nature  of  the 
case.  On  the  contrary,  sins  committed  are  pardoned,  Isa. 
55  ;7,  and  "our  old  man  is  crucified/'  Eom.  6:6.  The 
first  gives  us  the  favor  of  God;  the  second  restores  to  us 
the  moral  likeness  and  image  of  God;  the  first  gives  us  a 
right  to  heaven ;  the  second  gives  us  the  fitness  for  heaven. 
In  the  first  we  are  born  of  the  Spirit;  in  the  second  we 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


are  baptized  vritli  the  Spirit.  In  the  nature  of  things  a 
lirtli  must  precede  a  baptism.  Just  as  certain  as  the  birth 
of  the  Spirit  marks  a  distinct  crisis  or  epoch,  just  so  cer- 
tainh'  does  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  mark  the  entrance 
upon  a  new  era  and  life  experience. 


ERADICATION  OR  REPRESSION,  WHICH? 

The  facts  of  ''original  sin'  are  admitted  by  all  Evan- 
gelical denominations.  There  is  scarcely  a  denomination 
that  does  not  make  some  reference  to  the  subject  of  orig- 
inal sin  in  its  creed,  in  some  form  or  other,  and  so,  clearly 
distinguishes  between  it — the  sin-nature  inherited — and 
sin  as  an  act  committed.  That  all  men  are  born  into  this 
world  with  this  *'Adamic  taint/''  this  ''infection  of  na- 
ture/' this  ''inbred  sin;"  or,  as  it  is  termed  in  the  Scrip- 
ture, the  "carnal  mind,'^  '^our  old  man,^^  "the  body  of 
sin,^^  "sin  that  dwelleth  in  me,^^  "the  sin  which  doth  so 
easily  beset,^^  (S:c.,  is  generally  recognized  and  conceded. 

Xor  is  there  any  controversy  touching  the  fact  that  this 
thing — termed  "original  sin^^ — cannot  enter  heaven,  and 
therefore  must  be  eradicated  from  the  soul  before  there  is 
perfect  fitness  for  a  holy  heaven.  The  points  of  contro- 
versy are  concerning  the  time  and  method  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  deliverance;  the  Calvinistic,  Zin- 
zendorfian.  Keswickian  theory  being  that  this  full  deliver- 
ance cannot  be  fully  realized  until  death;  hence  the  only 
hope  for  the  Christian  in  tliis  life  is  to  obtain  grace  to 
repress,  subdue,  regulate,  control  and  overcome  this  evil 
within  until  death  shall  set  us  free.  The  Arminian,  Wes- 
leyan  and  present-day  second-blessing,  holiness-movement 
theory  iS;  that  subsequent  to  regeneration,  by  a  complete 


ERADICATION  OR  REPRESSION,  WHICH  ? 


consecration  and  faith,  there  may  be  an  instantaneous 
cleansing  and  eradication  of  all  sin  from  the  heart  of  the 
believer  by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire. 

So  the  controversy  resolves  itself  into  the  question  at 
the  head  of  this  article.  Some  have  supposed  that  this 
inbred  sin  was  removed  in  regeneration,  but  this  is  con- 
trarjT-  to  the  experience  of  all  Christians  in  all  ages,  and 
is  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  the  Bible.  While  the  Apos- 
tle Paul  could  say  of  the  Corinthians,  ^^I  thank  my  God 
always  on  your  behalf,  for  the  grace  of  God  which  is  given 
you  by  Jesus  Christ,^'  and  called  them  ^'babes  in  Christ,^^ 
he  also  declared,  ^"^ye  are  yet  carnal/^  (Cor.  3:3),  which 
proves  most  conclusively  that  the  carnal  mind  was  not 
eradicated  at  the  time  of  their  conversion. 

Others  seem  to  think  that  by  some  mysterious  process  of 
growth  the  soul  may  advance  until  in  some  inexplicable 
manner,  just  about  the  time  death  might  ensue,  it  would 
develop  into  a  state  of  perfect  holiness,  and  so  have  de- 
liverance from  the  evil  within.  Just  how,  or  by  what  law, 
the  growth  of  a  child  would  remove  uncleanness,  or 
the  growth  of  the  vegetable  in  the  garden  would  at  the 
same  time  grow  out  or  destroy  the  weeds  in  the  garden,  is 
not  explained.  However,  in  the  advancement  of  this 
theory  there  is  the  recognition  of  the  sin-nature  remain- 
ing in  the  heart  after  regeneration.  Though  the  deliver- 
ance from  it  were  only  fully  realized  and  accomplished  at 
the  time  of  death,  it  would  nevertheless  be  a  second  or  sub- 
sequent experience  to  regeneration. 

Paul  seemed  to  anticipate  the  repression  theory  in  Eom. 
6:1,  3,  when  he  exclaimed:  "What  shall  we  say  then? 
Shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound?  God 


52 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


forbid.  How  shall  we^  that  are  dead  to  sin^  live  any  longer 
therein  He  then  continues  by  declaring  that  the  divine 
method  for  inbred  sin — ^^our  old  man/^  or^,  ^^the  body  of 
sin^^ — is  crucifixion  and  destruction.  ^^Knowing  this,  that 
our  old  man  is  crucified  with  him,,  that  the  body  of  sin 
might  be  destroyed.^^  ^^Crucified^^  and  ^^destroyed^^  surely 
does  not  mean  repressed. 

There  is  nothing  that  can  eradicate  sin  from  the  heart 
but  the  blood  of  Jesus.  If  the  blood  is  efficacious  to  cleanse 
from  inbred  sin  when  the  person  is  dying,  surely  it  has  the 
same  efficacy  prior  to  death.  Thank  God  for  the  promise, 
"If  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  He  is  in  the  light,  we  have 
fellowship  one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
His  Son^  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin/' 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  WITH 
THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

Whoever  is  sanctified  wholly  has  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  whoever  has  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  sanctified  wholly.  It  is  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
that  sanctifies  wholly.  These  terms  simply  represent 
different  phases  of  the  same  experience,  and  are  used  as 
synonyms.  When  the  consecration  of  the  believer  is  en- 
tire and  complete,  the  "old  man,^^  or  inbred  sin  is  cruci- 
fied and  eradicated  by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  negative  side  of  sanctification,  which  is  the  destructioii 
and  removal  of  inbred  sin,  is  as  certainly  effected  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  as  is  the  positive  side  of  sanctification,  which 
is  the  divine  infilling  and  the  enduement  of  power.  Multi- 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  WITH  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  53 

tndes  are  praying  for  power  and  so  insist  on  having  the 
positive  side  of  sanctification  without  consenting  to  have 
the  negative  work  of  cleansing  accomplished  in  them.  All 
such  seeking  is  in  vain.  The  work  of  subtracting  inbred 
Bin  from  the  heart  must  precede  addition  or  the  endue- 
ment  of  power.    Purity  is  power. 

In  Acts^  15  :8-9^  we  find  that  God  gave  to  the  house  of 
Cornelius,  under  the  preaching  of  Peter,  exactly  the  same 
experience  He  had  given  the  Apostles  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost. Or,  in  other  words,  exactly  the  same  thing  took 
place  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  that  took  place  at  the  house 
of  Cormelius.  Peter  says,  God  gave  them  the  Holy  Ghost, 
''And  put  no  difference  between  us  and  them  purifying 
their  hearts  by  faith.^^  So  we  see  clearly  that  the  Pente- 
costal blessing — the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost — does 
not  simply  mean  the  empowering  far  service  but  the 
purifying  of  the  heart  hy  faith.  And  we  also  see  that 
in  connection  with  the  purifying  of  the  heart — ^which  is 
obtained  by  faith — the  Holy  Ghost  is  given.  Sanctifi- 
cation comprehends  both  the  act  of  purifying  the  heart 
and  what  may  be  termed  the  result  of  being  thus  purified, 
namely,  that  of  being  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  sure  to  take  up  his  abode  in  a  ckan  heart. 

We  have  known  a  preacher  to  preach  on  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  emphasize  the  ''power  for  ser- 
vice^^  feature,  and  many  who  had  been  professing  the  ex- 
perience of  sanctification  presented  themselves  at  the  al- 
tar; either  such  persons  had  never  been  wholly  sanctified, 
or  else  they  were  greatly  confused  and  misled.    As  well 


54 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


go  to  the  altar  for  the  quickening  and  impartation  of  life^ 
after  having  obtained  pardon  and  being  bora  again,  as 
go  to  the  altar  seeking  for  the  baptism  with  the  Hol}^ 
Ghost  after  having  been  purified  and  sanctified.  As  the 
pardon  and  quickening  of  the  sinner  take  place  simul- 
taneously;, so  in  like  manner  the  purifying  and  sanctify- 
ing of  the  heart  of  the  believer  and  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  take  place  simultaneously.  To  have  a  pure 
heart  is  to  have  the  Holy  Ghost;  to  have  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  Pentecostal  sense  is  to  have  the 
heart  purified  by  faith.  The  receiving  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  the  purifying  of  the  heart  were  not  separate  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  and  must  never  be  separated.  It  is 
possible  that  the  manifestation  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  full- 
ness and  presence  may  not  come  to  the  consciousness  of  t!:  e 
individual  at  the  same  instant  in  which  faith  claims  the 
purifying  of  the  heart — for  the  Holy  Spirit  can  come  into 
the  heart  vv^ithoiit  exciting  the  emotions — ^but  we  insist 
that  the  purifying  and  sanctifying  of  the  heart  and  th>} 
baptism  ^ith  the  Holy  Ghost  occur  simultaneously.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  this  experience  is  always  subse- 
quent to  regeneration,  since  Jesus  emphasized  and  quali- 
fied in  John,  14:17,  saying  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
''Whom  the  world  cannot  receive.''  A  man  is  of  the 
'^world''  until  after  he  is  born  again.  "Have  ye  received 
the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed  was  exactly  the 
equivalent  of  asking,  ''Have  ye  been  sanctified  wholly  since 
you  were  converted 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


55 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION  NECESSARY  TO 
ENTIRE  SATISFACTION. 

Man^s  normal  condition^  as  God  made  him,  is  that  of 
holiness.  ^^God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  He  him.^^  Sin  produces  an  ab- 
normal condition.  Sin  in  the  heart  is  a  foreign  sub- 
stance— something  that  does  not  belong  there.  What 
a  grain  of  sand  would  be  to  the  eye^  sin  is  to  the  heart. 
Hence  it  afflicts,  and  brings  unrest  and  discontent.  This 
is  one  reason  why  a  sinner  can  never  know  rest  and  con- 
tentment. He  scarcely  realizes  or  recognizes  the  source 
of  his  trouble,  but  he  knows  there  is  always  something 
he  thinks  he  wants,  which  he  does  not  now  have.  He 
fondly  imagines  if  he  could  but  have  more  pleasure,  or 
more  prominence,  or  more  wealth,  he  would  be  satisfied, 
and  so  he  presses  on  in  pursuit  of  these  things,  only  to 
find  that  those  things  simply  mock  the  sad  cry  of  his 
soul,  increase  the  restlessness  and  discontent,  and  ever 
leave  an  aching  void  within.  Like  the  man  addicted 
to  the  use  of  strong  drink,  the  more  he  drinks,  the  more 
he  wants,  and  the  more  intense  the  craving  becomes. 
God  says,  ^^Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which 
is  not  bread;  and  your  labor  for  that  which  satisfleth  not?** 
*'The  wicked  are  like  the  troubled  sea,  when  it  cannot 
rest,  whose  waters  cast  up  mire  and  dirt.  There  is  no 
peace,  saith  my  God  to  the  wicked.^^ 

Until  a  man  regains  holiness,  there  is  ever  a  conscious 
want  or  lack.  God  never  intended  a  man  should  be  satis- 
fied without  holiness,  and  consequently  he  never  can  be. 
Sanctifi^cation  being  the  act  of  grace  whereby  we  are  made 


EXTIRE  SAXCTIFICATIOX. 


holy^  it  is  not  difficailt  to  see  that  entire  sanctification  is 
necessary  to  entire  satisfaction.  As  the  Psalmist  ex- 
pressed it^  shall  be  satisfied  Tvhen  I  a^vake  with  Thy 
likeness.*^  Holiness  is  the  divine  likeness.  ^'He  sat- 
isfieth  the  longing  soiil^  and  filleth  the  hungry  soul  with 
goodness.^^  An  experience  that  does  not  fully  satisfy  li- 
ne ver  fully  satisfies  God. 

At  times  we  hear  people  say.  after  seeking  for  a  time, 
"Perhaps  I  am  expecting  too  much.*^  Such  a  one  needs 
to  be  reminded  that  the  divine  resources  are  unlimited, 
and  inexhaustible,  and  that  God  has  pledged  His  word, 
to  fill  and  satisfy  the  longing,  hungr}'  soul.  ''They 
shall  be  ahundanfJy  satisfied.^'    (Psa.  36:8.) 

The  difference  of  the  craving  and  longing  of  a  justified 
soul  and  that  of  a  sanctified  soul  may  be  illustrated  by  the 
person  having  a  craving  or  appetite  for  apple  dum.plings, 
or  some  special  dish, — he  m.ay  sit  up  to  a  table  laden  with 
good  things,  and  eat  all  he  may  wish:  but  that  one  dish 
he  was  especially  craving  is  not  on  the  table:  although 
he  has  had  a  full  meal^  he  is  still  craving  something 
not  contained  in  that  meal.  Thus  it  is  with  the  justified 
soul:  he  may  be  blessed  even  to  the  shouting  point,  and 
still  crave  something  not  contained  in  that  blessing.  But 
when  he  is  sanctified  wholly  he  gets  the  apple  dumplings, 
or  the  ven-  thing  he  was  craving.  That  special  longing 
having  been  satisfied,  having  received  not  only  all  he 
wanted,  but  the  verv  thing  his  nature  craved — his  hunger- 
ing and  thirsting  is  just  as  though  he  had  apple  dumplings 
for  every  meal.  Thus  it  is  with  the  sanctified  soul.  He 
is  not  wanting  or  desiring  something  other  than  what  he 
has,  although  at  the  next  meal  time  he  will  relish  some 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION — HOW  OBTAINED. 


57 


more  of  the  same  kind.  Because  justification  does  not 
and  cannot  satisfy  the  longing  of  the  heart  for  holiness^ 
they  try  so-called  ^^innocent^^  and  ^^no-harm^^  amusements, 
et-c.;,  and  back-slide.  Whereas,  if  they  were  properly  in- 
structed, and  would  seek  entire  sanctification,  they  would 
find  what  their  heart  is  craving,  and  hence  have  entire 
satisfaction. 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION— HOW  OBTAINED 

Three  points,  clearly  and  fully  determined,  will  inva- 
riably bring  the  diligent  seeker  into  the  experience  of  en- 
tire sanctification. 

First,  there  should  be  the  positive  assurance,  or  witness 
of  the  spirit  to  a  present  acceptance  with  God.  If  there 
is  any  doubt  concerning  this  point — any  questioning  as  to 
the  pardon  of  all  past  sins,  this  point  should  be  fully  settled 
first.  Many  have  found  difficulty  in  seeking  this  ex- 
perience because  they  were  living  beneath  the  plane  where 
sanctification  begins.  We  have  observed  that  they  who 
live  in  the  clear  light  of  justification  are  ever  the  first  to 
seek  this  experience  and  seldom  have  any  difficulty  in  re- 
ceiving the  same.  Persons  who  are  backsliders  in  heart, 
and  are  conscious  that  they  are  ^^sinning  every  day,^^  are 
not  eligible  to  this  experience.  If  there  is  any  sense  of 
guilt  and  condemnation  the  prayer  must  be  for  pardon  and 
reclamation  and  not  for  sanctification.  But  when  the 
question  of  pardon  and  acceptance  is  fully  settled,  then 
it  is  time  to  drive  a  stake  and  say,  ^^Glory,^^  and  take  the 
second  step  toward  sanctification. 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


Second,  The  second  step  toward  entire  sanctification  is 
entire  consecration — a  complete  and  unconditional  aban- 
donment of  yourself  and  your  all,  to  God.  In  Matt.  23  :19, 
we  read  that  it  is  ^^the  altar  that  sanctifieth  the  gift/^ 
Christ  being  our  living  altar  we  need  to  dedicate  and  con- 
secrate our  all;, — unconditionally,  irrevocably  and  etern- 
ally— to  him.  This  is  the  most  difficult  part  in  seeking  the 
experience  of  sanctification.  Usually  there  are  three  stages 
or  three  steps  before  consecration  is  completed.  1.  "I  de- 
sire to  consecrate.^^  2.  ^^I  am  trying  to  consecrate.'^  3. 
^'I  do  give  up  all  to  Jesus.''  Some  itemize  their  consecra- 
tion; this  is  a  good  thing  to  do.  However,  there  should 
be  a  large  space  between  the  itemized  account  and  the 
signature  of  the  individual  with  the  understanding  that 
God  can  fill  out  the  blank  space  as  it  may  seem  good  in 
His  sight.  Another  plan  is  simply  to  emphasize  the  words 
^'^my  all" — all  I  know  and  all  I  don't  know;  all  I  have  and 
all  I  expect  to  have ;  all  I  am  and  all  I  hope  to  be ;  my  past, 
present  and  future  I  yield  to  thee.'^  The  soul  that  desires 
the  blessing  more  than  anything  else  in  the  world  and 
will  make  a  death-bed  consecration  is  very  near  the  bless- 
ing. Consecration  is  the  pledge  of  an  eternal  ^^yes"  to  all 
the  will  of  God.  Satan  will  be  present  to  suggest  that 
possibly  all  is  not  yet  consecrated,  but  a  resolute  steadfast 
purpose  of  heart  to  be  wholly  the  Lord's  will  speedily  de- 
feat the  enemy.  The  singing  of  the  following  verse  of 
consecration  has  helped  multitudes  into  the  experience: 

^^Here  I  give  my  all  to  Thee, 

Friends  and  time  and  earthly  store ; 
Soul  and  body  thine  to  be, 

Wholly  thine  forevermore.^' 


ENTIRE 


SANCTIFICATION- 


r — HOW  OBTAINED. 


59 


WTien  the  soul  can  look  up  into  heaven  and  say,  ^^0  my 
God  thou  knowest  all  things,  ^  and  thou  knowest  my  heart 
and  my  thoughts:  thou  dost  know  that  I  give  up  my  all 
to  thee;  all  I  know  and  all  that  I  do  not  know,  which 
may  be  made  known  to  me  in  the  future/^  the  blessing  of 
sanctification  is  nigh  at  hand,  there  being  but  one  more 
short  step  to  be  taken. 

Third,  VlTien  the  foregoing  steps  have  been  taken — so 
that  there  is  no  lingering  doubt  regarding  those  points,  it 
only  remains  for  the  seeker  to  exercise  a  little  faith — ap- 
propriating faith — which  appropriates  the  promises  and 
receives  the  blessing  God  has  promised.  Faith  is  simply 
believing  what  God  says,  and  believing  it  because  God 
said  it,  and  so  making  the  promise  our  own.  We  may 
encourage  our  faith  by  determining  the  foUow^ing  three 
points :  1.  God  is  able  to  sanctify  me  wholly.  2.  God  is 
willing  to  sanctify  me  wholly.  3.  God  is  ready  to  sanctify 
me  wholly.  If  God  is  now  able,  willing  and  ready  to 
sanctify  me  wholly,  and  I  am  willing  and  ready  to  be 
sanctified  wholly,  what  is  to  hinder?  I  can,  and  I  will 
and  I  do  now  believe  that  Jesus  sanctifies  me  w^hoUy.  T 
have  done  my  part,  I  now  believe  He  does  His  part.  My 
case  is  wholly  in  His  hands :  I  now  trust  J esus  to  sanctify 
me  vAolly.  I  d.o  now  receive  Jesus  as  my  sanctifier,  and 
trust  His  blood  to  cleanse  my  heart  from  all  sin.^^ 

^^Hallelujah  ^tis  done, 
I  believe  on  the  Son, 
I  am  saved  by  the  blood 
Of  the  crucified  One." 


6o 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


N'ow  there  is  nothing  more  to  do  but  rest  on  the  prom- 
ises^ and  believe  that  the  blood  of  Jesiis  now  cleanseth  me 
from  all  sin^  because  Jesus  says  so,  and  praise  Him  for 
the  cleansing.  If  the  enemy  continues  to  buffet  declare 
your  faith  to  others;  tell  them  that  3'ou  believe  that  the 
blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth  your  heart  f roni  all  sin ;  that  you 
have,  and  do  now  receive  Jesus  as  your  sanctifier^  and 
the  victory  is  complete.  ^'They  overcame  him  (Satan)  by 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,. and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony; 
and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death.^^  Eev.  12  :11. 
^'Sanctified  by  faith.^'   Acts  26  :18. 


SOME  BENEFITS   OF  SANCTIFICATION. 

The  BE^"EFITS  of  sanctification  are  innumerable,  and  we 
can  only  hope  to  mention  a  few  of  them. 

First.  Clarified  Visio7i :  '^\fter  that  He  put  His  hands 
again  upon  His  eyes,  and  made  him  look  up:  and  he  was 
restored  and  saw  every  man  clearly.^'  After  this  man  had 
received  one  touch  he  could  see,  but  not  clearly:  he  said, 
'T  see  men  as  trees  walking.^'  A  second  touch  was  pos- 
itively necessary  in  his  case,  in  order  that  he  might  see 
''clearly."  We  have  heard  of  a  man  who  had  obtained  the 
blessing  of  sanctification  by  a  second  experience,  saying 
he  had  found  a  new  version  of  the  Scripture.  So  it  has 
seemed  to  many;  before  being  sanctified  they  had  failed 
to  see  much  in  the  Bible  relating  to  sanctification  or  the 
second  blessings  but  after  having  received  the  experience 
they  could  see  it  taught  in  ahnost  every  chapter,  and  al- 
most everywhere  in  the  Bible.   The  Bible  had  not  changed, 


SOME  BENEFITS  OF  SANCTIFICATION. 


6i 


but  after  having  received  the  second  touch  they  were  en- 
abled to  '^see  clearly/' 

Jesus  taught  in  the  sermon  on  the  mount  that  purity 
of  heart — which  is  the  result  of  entire  sanctification — 
would  effect  the  vision.  ''Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart ; 
for  they  shall  see— God/'  Not  only  see  God  in  heaven, 
but  see  Him  now,  in  His  word,  in  His  people,  in  nature, 
in  His  providences — everywhere  they  can  see  God.  In 
all  the  things  that  were  formerly  attributed  to  luck,  or  a 
happen-so,  or  a  mysterious  providence,  the  pure  in  heart 
will  now  see  God,  in  His  love,  or  justice,  or  faithfulness, 
or  mercy,  etc.  They  can  now  see  God  in  everything 
and  everything  in  God.  ''Anoint  thine  eyes  with  eye- 
salve,  that  thou  mayest  see.'' 

Second.  Stability:  ''By  whom  also  we  have  access  by 
faith  into  this  grace  wherein  we  stand/'  The  cause  of  the 
fluctuating,  evanescent,  up  and  down  experience  of  multi- 
tudes, is  inbred  sin  in  the  heart.  The  Lord  removes  the 
cause  of  this  "wobbling"  by  sanctifying  us  wholly.  Wher- 
ever the  preserving  grace  is  mentioned,  a?;  in  1  Thess.  5 : 
24  and  Jude  1:1,  it  is  invariably  preceded  by  and  coupled 
with  the  sanctifying  grace.  "Sanctified  by  God  the 
Father,  and  preserved."  As  a  good  house-wife  would 
not  undertake  to  preserve  fruit  without  first  removing 
every  speck  and  decayed  spot,  so  in  like  manner  Jesus 
would  first  sanctify  and  cleanse  us  from  all  sin,  and  then 
preserve  us  blameless.  Preserved  means  done  up  so 
you  keep.  And  God's  preserves  will  keep  in  all  climates, 
in  all  seasons  of  the  year  and  under  all  circumstances. 
"The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly;  and  I  pray 


62 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved 
blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our ,  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
Faithful  is  He  that  calleth  you  who  also  will  do  it/' 

Third.  Preparation  for  service :  vessel  unto  honor, 
sanctified,  and  meet  for  the  Master's  use,  and  prepared 
unto  every  good  work/'  2  Tim.  2 :21.  According  to  this 
passage  sanctification  is  the  preparation  for  every  good 
work.  The  Apostles  were  not  fully  qualified  for  their 
life's  work  until  after  they  received  the  purification  of 
their  hearts  by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  as  a  second  distinct  experience.  ''Every 
branch  that  beareth  fruit,  He  purgeth  it,  that  it  may  bring 
forth  more  fruit."  Here  it  would  seem  that  the  great 
object  of  the  purging  is  ^^more  fruit."  The  moment 
the  prophet  Isaiah  had  been  touched  by  the  live  coal  from 
off  the  altar  and  heard  it  said  ^^thine  iniquity  is  taken 
away,  and  thy  sin  purged,"  the  language  of  his  heart 
was,  ^Tiere  am  I;  send  me."  He  did  not  keep  his  seat, 
because  he  wanted  to  hear  others  speak,  according  to 
the  phraseology  common  in  many  class  meetings;  nor  did 
he  ask  the  Lord  to  send  some  one  else,  because  they  had 
more  talent  and  better  ability  to  talk,  but  he  at  once  was 
ready  to  do  whatever  God  might  permit  him  to  do.  "And 
purify  unto  Himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
worTcsf  Purity  precedes  the  zeal  for  good  works.  Sanc- 
tified people  are  not  only  prepared,  but  anxious  to  do  any- 
thing the  Lord  would  have  them  do.  Having  deliverance 
and  rest  from  inward  struggle  with  inberd  sin,  and  its 
various  manifestations, — ^no  more  a  wrestling  with  '^flesh 
and  blood," — the  sanctified  soul  now  has  a  heart  and  haAd 


SANCTIFICATION  THE  CURE  FOR  UNBELIEF. 


63 


free  to  help  others.  Before  being  sanctified  wholly  it 
required  all  the  energy  and  time  to  keep  ourselves  straight^ 
with  but  little  disposition  or  grace  to  help  others. 


SANCTIFICATION  THE  CURE  FOR  UNBELIEF. 

Perfect  love  brings  perfect  confidence.  This  is  true  in 
everything.  Perfect  love  means  complete  devotement^ 
and  complete  devotement  means  cheerful  obedience^  and 
where  there  is  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  and  the  testi- 
mony of  the  conscience  to  perfect  obedience  there  is 
boldness  and  assurance.  "If  our  heart  condemn  us  not, 
then  have  we  confidence  toward  God.^^ 

The  child  who  has  disobeyed  the  parent  cannot  ask  a 
favor  of  the  parent  in  confidence^,  because  of  the  accusations 
of  its  conscience.  The  man  who  has  violated  the  law 
seeks  to  evade  the  officer  of  the  law  because  he  feels  self- 
condemned.  So  when  the  heart  is  not  fully  assured  that 
God  is  pleased  it  cannot  approach  Him  in  perfect  confi- 
dence. 

Unbelief  has  its  root  and  source  in  carnality ;  the  carnal 
mind  not  being  "subject  to  the  law  of  God/^  destroys 
confidence  and  so  generates  doubt  and  unbelief;  hence 
every  unsanctified  soul  has  more  or  less  of  conflict  with 
unbelief.  Many  have  supposed  unbelief  simply  a  weak- 
ness, but  not  so ;  it  is  a  devilishness ;  it  dishonors  God  and 
imperils  the  soul.  Faith  honors  God  and  "is  the  victory 
that  overcometh  the  world.^^ 

Unbelief  is  the  tap-root  of  all  evil;  faith  is  the  avenue 
of  every  blessing.  Sanctification  is  faith  made  easy, 
as  by  this  experience  the  soul  is  brought  into  an  atmos- 


64 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


phere  and  condition  where  the  hindrances  to  faith  are  all 
removed.  Believe  God  and  yon  will  find  a  pure  heart; 
having  a  pnre  heart  yon  will  find  it  most  natural  and 
easy  to  believe  God,  and  live  the  life  of  faith. 


GROWING  INTO  SANCTIFICATION. 

Growing  into  sanctification  is  as  unreasonable  as  it  is 
unscriptural.  WTiile  there  is  a  growth  in  grace,  there 
is  no  such  a  thing  as  growing  into  grace.  As  well  speak 
of  a  child  having  a  soiled  face  growing  clean,  or  of  grow- 
ing weeds  out  of  a  garden  as  talk  of  growing  impurity 
and  carnality  out  of  the  heart.  Sanctification  is  a 
*'divine  act" — a  work  that  is  divinely  inwrought  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  therefore  can  never  be  attained,  but  must 
be  obtained  by  faith.  "Wherefore  Jesus  also,  that  He 
might  sanctify  the  people  with  His  own  blood,  suffered 
without  the  gate.''  It  is  a  work  that  Jesus  proposes  to  do 
for  you  and  in  you.  To  this  there  are  thousands  who  will 
bear  glad  testimony;  but  never  have  we  known  of  one 
person  who  could  or  would  bear  testimony  that  he  had 
reached  sanctification  by  growth.  If  it  were  by  growth, 
there  would  of  necessity  be  degrees  of  sanctification,  and 
to  be  true  to  the  facts  some  would  need  to  testify  that 
they  were  little  sanctified;  others  that  they  were  more 
sanctified;  and  still  others  that  they  were  most  sanctified. 
How  absurd  I  However,  after  the  ''divine  act''  of  sancti- 
fication in  which  inbred  sin  is  eradicated,  the  "old  man" 
crucified,  there  is  unstinted  and  limitless  growth.  When 
anger,  and  fear,  and  pride,  and  all  the  roots  of  bitterness 
are  removed  there  is  just  the  condition  of  growth,  just  as 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  MISTAKES. 


65 


when  the  weeds  are  removed  from  a  garden  the  vegetables 
will  grow.  There  will  be  more  real  development  and  ad- 
vance in  one  week  after  being  wholly  sanctified  than  there 
is  previous  to  sanctification  in  a  month.  Sanctification  is 
essential  to  real  growth. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  MISTAKES. 

Sanctification  is  not  infallibility.  A  pure  heart  does 
not  m.ean  a  perfect  head.  Sanctified  people  make  mis- 
takes. A  mistake  is  a  thing  of  the  head;  a  sin  is  a 
thing  of  the  heart.  A  mistake  is  the  thing  you  do  be- 
cause you  do  not  know  better;  sin  is  the  thing  you  do 
when  you  do  know  better.  In  confounding  the  two, 
many  persons  have  become  confused,  and  have  cast  away 
their  confidence. 

The  Standard  Dictionary  defines  a  mistake  as  "^^an 
error  in  action,  judgment  or  preception.  *  * 
unintentional  wrong  act  or  step.^^  Men  may  be  perfectly 
honest  and  sincere  and  yet  err  in  judgment.  Having 
wrong  premises  they  will  arrive  at  wrong  conclusions, 
even  though  the  heart  is  pure  and  the  motive  right. 
We  have  known  of  a  case  where  a  mother  gave  to  her 
child  a  glass  containing  a  medicine  which  was  rank  poison, 
thinking  the  glass  contained  nothing  but  pure  water. 
This  was  a  very  sad  and  grievous  mistake,  almost  costing 
the  life  of  the  child ;  and  the  mother,  becoming  nearly  dis- 
tracted and  frenzied  with  grief,  was  but  an  object  of  pity 
and  sympathy.  It  was  simply  and  purely  a  mistake — ^^an 
unintentional  wrong  act.^^  This  was  not  an  evidence 
that  the  mother  did  not  have  a  pure  heart.     Had  she 


66 


ENTIRE  SAXCTIFICATION. 


given  that  child  that  glass  with  knowledge  and  intent, 
it  would  have  been  a  heinous  sin,  and  would  have  merited 
and  received  the  just  condemnation  and  wrath  of  God. 
It  would  have  been  murder  in  the  first  degree,  so  far 
as  the  mother  was  concerned  even  though  the  child  sur- 
vived, and  the  commimity  believed  it  to  be  a  mistake. 
Motive  determines  the  morality  of  the  act.  Xot  always 
knowing  the  motives  of  men.  it  is  best  not  to  take  the  judg- 
ment seat,  lest  we  adjudge  that  as  sin  which  was  wholly 
a  mistake,  or,  that  as  a  mistake  which  God  knows  to  be 
sin.  ^'Man  looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the 
Lord  looketh  on  the  heart.''  **The  Lord  searcheth  all 
hearts,  and  imderstandeth  all  the  imaginations  of  the 
thoughts.*" 

We  can  see  by  the  foregoing  how  that  wliich  might  be 
a  mistake  on  the  part  of  one  would  be  a  sin  on  the  part 
of  others,  and  vice  versa.  Of  course,  where  a  mistake 
occurs  because  of  negligence  on  the  part  of  those  commit- 
ting the  mistake,  such  mistake  is  not  wholly  inexcusable. 
However,  in  such  case  the  act  is  not  to  be  so  much  con- 
demned as  the  negligence  or  failure  to  properly  inform  one's 
self  when  said  information  was  at  hand. 

While  sanctified  people  are  liable  to  mistakes  because  o? 
mental  infirmities  and  ignorance  it  is  nevertheless  true 
that  the  liabilities  are  not  so  great,  and  the  mistakes  per- 
haps not  so  numerous,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  are 
walking  in  the  clear  light  of  God,  and  hence  have  keener 
discernment,  a  clearer  vision,  and  quicker  moral  precep- 
tions.  A  man  walking  in  the  clear  light  of  the  noon- 
day sun  is  certainly  not  as  liable  to  stumble  as  he  who 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  HOLY  LIVING. 


67 


walks  in  the  shadows.  Herein  is  one  advantage  in  being 
wholly  sanctified. 

Doubtless  because  some  men  have  failed  to  distinguish 
between  mistakes  and  sin,  they  have  concluded  they  could 
not  live  the  sanctified  life,  and  so,  naturally  concluded  no 
one  else  could.  And  because  of  this  failure  to  note  this 
distinction  the  holy  people  and  the  holiness  movement  in 
general  have  been  greatly  discounted  and  misjudged,  and 
so  condemned  by  men,  where  God  approved.  Our  mis- 
takes should  be  a  source  of  humiliation  to  us,  and  make 
us  to  feel  our  own  unworthiness,  and  the  need  of  the 
atoning  blood.  No,  sanctified  people  do  not  claim,  to  be 
infallible. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  HOLY  LIVING. 

A  holy  heart  is  the  condition  for  and  secret  of  living 
a  holy  life.  To  undertake  to  live  a  holy  life  with  an  un- 
holy heart  is  to  undertake  the  impossible.  An  impure 
fountain  can  only  send  forth  an  impure  stream.  To  deny 
the  privilege  and  possibility  of  having  a  pure  heart  and 
yet  demand  a  holy  life  is  unreasonable,  unscriptural  and 
tyrannical.  No  man  is  better  than  his  heart,  no  matter 
what  his  profession  or  pretenses  may  be.  "Doth  a  foun- 
tain send  forth  at  the  same  place  sweet  water  and  bitter? 
Can  the  fig  tree,  my  brethren,  bear  olive  berries?  Either 
a  vine,  figs?  So  can  no  fountain  both  yield  salt  water 
and  fresh.^^ 

Human  religions  begin  on  the  outside  and  take  for  their 
Blogan,  *^Do  right  and  you  will  be  right.^^  In  this  the 
Pharisees  were  adepts,  so  much  so  that  Jesus  said  of 


68 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


them,  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  ciip  and  platter, 
but  within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess/^  Accord- 
ing to  this  a  man  may  have  a  clean  outward  life  and  yet 
be  none  other  than  a  Pharisee.  "Except  j^our  righteous- 
ness shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven."  The  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  begins  with 
the  heart,  and  says:  ^Thou  blind  Pharisee,  cleanse  first 
that  which  is  within  the  cup  and  platter  that  the  out- 
side of  them  may  be  clean  also."  A  good  man  out  of  the 
good  treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  that  which  is 
good." 

The  enemy  keeps  many  people  out  of  the  blessing  of 
sanctification  by  telling  them  that  because  of  their  peculiar 
temperament  and  their  environments,  they  could  never 
live  a  holy  life.  This  is  all  a  delusion  and  device  of 
Satan  to  deceive  and  defeat  a  hungry  soul.  Sanctifica- 
tion will  correct  your  peculiar  temperament  and  lift  you 
above  conditions  and  environments  and  enable  you  to 
"reign  in  life."  There  can  be  nothing  more  easy  or  more 
natural  than  for  a  man  to  live  out  what  is  in  him.  Be 
right  and  you  will  do  right.  Sanctification  is  religion 
made  easy  and  brings  a  life  of  glad  victory. 

Many  seem  to  think  that  God  has  laid  dovm  two 
standards  of  living — one  for  the  justified  and  another  for 
the  sanctified,  and  so  may  be  heard  to  excuse  themselves 
for  some  unholy  indulgence  of  temper  or  appetite,  by 
saying  they  never  professed  sanctification,  as  though  the 
refusal  to  walk  in  the  light  and  be  cleansed  from  all 
sin  gave  one  license  to  live  beneath  the  standard  of  holi- 
ness.    This,  too,  is  a  delusion.      God  requires  holiness 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  STABILITY. 


69 


of  all  men  regardless  of  what  tliey  profess  or  do  not  pro- 
fess. God  does  not  wait  for  a  man  to  subscribe  his  name 
to  the  ten  commandments  before  he  requires  obedience 
to  the  same.  A  sanctified  man  has  a  right  to  do  anything 
anyone  else  has  a  right  to  do.  N"o  man  has  right  or 
liberty  to  do  anything  that  is  wrong.  A  justified  man 
should  walk  just  as  straight  and  live  just  as  consistent 
and  obedient  before  God  as  a  sanctified  man.  God  says 
to  all  men :  ^^Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy.^^ 

The  beauty  of  sanctification  is  that  it  removes  from 
the  heart  everything  that  is  antagonistic  to  a  holy  life, 
and  puts  His  Spirit  within  yoU;,  which  will  "cause'^  you 
to  walk  in  his  statutes  and  keep  His  judgments  and  do 
them.''— Ezek.  36  :27. 

Another  thrust  of  the  enemy  is  to  say  to  those  profess- 
ing the  blessing  of  sanctification :  "You  need  not  say  any- 
thing about  it;,  just  live  it."  This  is  like  saying  to  a 
white  man,  ''Now  be  a  white  man."  If  you  have  the 
blessing,  of  course  you  will  live  it.  If  you  do  not  live  it, 
you  cannot  long  testify  to  the  blessing,  and  if  you  do  not 
testify  to  the  blessing,  you  will  soon  cease  to  live  it,  for 
you  will  not  long  possess  the  blessing  when  you  cease 
to  testify  to  the  same.  Life  and  testimony  must  go  to- 
gether. God  says,  ''Ye  are  my  witnesses."  "They  over- 
came him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of 
their  testimony.^^ 


70 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  STABILITY. 

While  the  Bible  teaches  the  possibility  of  losing  the 
grace  of  God  out  of  the  heart — ^hence  the  necessity  of  con- 
stant watchfulness — it  also  teaches  that  it  is  gloriously 
possible  for  a  man  to  have  the  grace  of  God  and  ever 
retain  it.  \Vhile  a  man  may  lose  it^  he  also  may  keep 
it.  There  is  no  necessity  of  falling  if  there  is  a  com- 
pliance with  the  conditions  for  standing.  But  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Bible  is^  that  the  '^wliole  armour"  is  neces- 
sary as  a  safeguard  against  the  foe;  that  he  who  has  neg- 
lected or  failed  to  ^'^put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God^^  has 
not  availed  himself  of  the  necessary  equipment  to  stand, 
and  therefore  has  no  assurance  of  standing;  and  ^^if  after 
they  have  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world  through  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  they 
are  again  entangled  therein,  and  overcome,  the  latter  end 
is  worse  with  them  than  the  beginning.''^ 

By  ^^the  whole  armour  of  G^d^^  is  doubtless  meant  full 
salvation,  or  the  full  provisions  of  the  Gospel. 

It  is  a  fact  that  is  noteworthy  that  the  sanctifying 
grace  invariably  precedes  preserving  grace,  as  in  Jude  1:1 
— ''Sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus 
Christ.^'  Also  in  1  Thess.  5:23-24,  'The  very  God  of 
peace  sanctify  you  wholly:  and  I  pray  God  your  whole 
spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless.^^  First 
sanctified  wholly  and  then  preserved  blameless.  As  the 
good  house-wife  preserves  only  fruit  that  is  sound  and 
whole — first  cutting  out  all  the  specks  and  spots  and 
core — so  in  like  manner  the  Lord  puts  up  His  preserves, 
by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire,  consuming 
all  dross  and  every  ''root  of  evil,^'  and  so  making  us  every 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  STABILITY. 


71 


whit  whole.  God  does  not  propose  to  preserve  men  with 
sin  in  their  hearts ;  He  first  cleanses  the  heart  from  all  sin 
by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire,  and  then 
preserves  blameless. 

In  Rom.  5  :2  we  read  of  it  as  the  standing  grace,  or, 
"This  grace  wherein  we  stand/^  because  it  enables  one  not 
only  to  endure  hardness,  and  patiently  suffer,  and  "re- 
joice in  hope  of  the  glorj^  of  God/'  but  actually  enables 
those  who  have  it  to  ^"^glor}^  in  tribulations  also/^  As 
indicated  by  the  word  ^^also/'  it  is  a  grace  obtained  subse- 
quent to  ^T3eing  justified  by  faith.^'  The  mistake  made 
by  a  great  many  is  to  suppose  that  this  grace  can  only  be 
realized  as  the  result  of  a  long  dravTi  out  process  of  growth 
— as  a  gradual  attainment.  But  the  text  says,  "By  whom 
also  we  have  access  by  faith,  into  this  grace  wherein  we 
stand.^^  Seeing  it  may  be  obtained  by  faith,  there  can 
be  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  a  present  tense  experi- 
ence with  every  Christian. 

Until  "this  grace  wherein  we  stand^^  is  earnestly  sought 
and  obtained,  the  believer  has  not  reached  the  place  where 
he  can  say,  ^Tiaving  done  all  to  stand;"  to  reject,  or  neg- 
lect to  "put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,^^  the  sanctifying 
grace,  "this  grace  wherein  we  stand,"  is  to  greatly  imperil 
the  soul,  and  be  continually  living  an  up  and  down, 
unstable  and  unsatisfactory  life.  As  the  foundations  of 
a  house  preserve  the  house,  so,  in  turn,  the  house  pre- 
serves the  foundation;  so  the  sanctifying  grace  preserves 
our  justification.  ''We  are  made  partakers  of  Christ, 
if  we  hold  the  beginning  of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto 
the  end."    (Heb.  3:14.) 


72 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  POWER. 

There  are  many  persons  who  are  ready  to  seek  for  a 
^T)aptism  of  power/^  or  ^^power  for  service/^  who  are 
averse  and  antagonistic  to  sanctification,  and  stoutly  deny 
the  teaching  of  a  second  experience.  We  insist  that  the 
secret  of  Pentecostal  power  is  a  Pentecostal  experience; 
and  the  Pentecostal  experience  is  an  experience  given  to  be- 
lievers, and  not  to  sinnerS;,  and,  therefore,  necessarily  is  a 
second  experience,  marking  a  second  crisis,  or  epoch  in 
the  life  of  such  as  receive  it. 

This  was  so  with  the  disciples  in  connection  with  the 
historic  Pentecost,  as  recorded  in  the  second  chapter  of  the 
Acts.  They  had  been  ^T^om  of  God^^  and  had  received 
"power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,^^  (John  1:12,  13),  and 
had  heard  Jesus  say  unto  them,  "Behold  I  give  unto  you 
power  to  tread  on  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  over  all  the 
power  of  the  enemy,  (Luke  10:19)  and  had  walked  with 
Jesus  three  years  in  closest  fellowship,  themselves  healing 
the  sick,  casting  out  devils,  and  had  the  testimony  of 
Jesus,  saying,  "They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am 
not  of  the  world  "they  have  kept  thy  wordf'  "those 
that  thou  gavest  me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of  them  is 
lost,^^  excepting  Judas;  "they  are  thine.  And  all  mine 
are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine;  and  I  am  glorified  in 
them  f  and  when  He  ascended  to  the  Father,  He  ^T^lessed 
them,^^  "and  they  worshipped  him,  and  returned  to  Jerusa- 
lem with  great  joy  and  were  continually  in  the  temple, 
praising  and  blessing  God:^^  and  yet  they  had  the  com- 
mandment of  Jesus,  spoken  just  before  He  ascended,  say- 
ing, "But  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be 
endued  with  power  from  on  high.^^ — Luke  24:49.  This 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  POWER. 


73 


promise  had  its  literal  fiilfillmeiit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

Nowhere  in  the  Bible  do  we  read  of  a  ^T^aptism  of 
power/^  or  of  ^^power  for  service/^  but  we  do  read^  "This 
is  the  will  of  God^  even  your  sanctification.^^  Sanctifica- 
tion  negatively  stated  is  the  entire  devotement  and  set- 
ting apart  of  our  all  to  God^  and  the  eradication  and 
destruction  of  inbred  sin — the  sin-nature  which  we  in- 
herited— thus  purifying  the  heart;  but  the  positive  side 
of  sanctification  is  the  in-filling  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
accompanied  by  the  enduement  of  power.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  a  man  to  be  filled  v\'ith  the  Holy  Ghost  without 
having  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost^  and  it  is  impossible 
to  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  Pentecostal  senso^ 
without  being  cleansed  and  purified  from  inbred  sin;  and 
it  is  impossible  to  be  thus  cleansed  and  purified  from  inbred 
sin  and  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  until  after  the  soul 
has  been  pardoned  and  regenerated.  For  in  giving  the 
promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Jesus  said  of  Him,  "Whom 
the  world  cannot  receive.^^ — John  14:17.  A  man  is  of 
the  world  until  he  is  born  again  and  adopted  into  God^s 
family;  then  and  not  until  then  is  he  eligible  to  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

To  state  the  case  more  plainly:  The  secret  of  power 
is  the  indwelling  Holy  Ghost  in  his  Pentecostal  fullness; 
the  Holy  Ghost  himself  is  the  power ;  this  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  cannot  be  received  by  "the  world^^  or  a  sinner,  and 
therefore  must  be  a  second  experience;  and  this  infilling 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  enduement  with  power,  which 
is  clearly  the  positive  side  of  sanctification,  cannot  be  re- 
ceived without  the  negative  work  of  entire  devotement  of 
our  all  to  God,  and  entire  purification  from  inbred  sin. 


74 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


Hence  to  get  sanctified  wholly  is  to  get  the  pre-pentecost 
promise.  The  negative  and  the  positive  side  of  sanctifica- 
tion  occur  simultaneously. 

Seeking  power  for  service  is  almost  the  equivalent  to 
asking  for  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  order  that  we  might  use 
Him;  instead,  we  should  be  so  utterly  and  completely 
abandoned  to  Him  that  He  might  use  us.  Amen. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  REVIVALS. 

God^s  method  for  saving  the  world  is  by  and  through 
the  sanctification  of  His  people.  Jesus  prayed  ^^Sanctify 
them/^  ^^that  they  all  may  be  one/^  ^Hliat  the  world  may 
believe/^  (John  17:17-21.)  According  to  this  prayer, 
sanctification  is  essential  to  that  unity  of  His  people, 
which  is  imperative,  and  the  condition  for  saving  the  world. 
Hence,  he  who  opposes  or  is  indifferent  to  the  subject  of 
sanctification  virtually  is  in  opposition  to  the  divine 
method  for  saving  the  world.  This  will  explain  why 
preachers  antagonistic  to  sanctification  as  a  distinct  ex- 
perience, do  not  see  many  sinners  converted. 

By  seventeen  years  of  continuous  experience  as  an  evan- 
gelist, laboring  in  many  states,  and  among  more  than  a 
score  of  denominations,  thus  having  tested  this  matter 
under  all  conditions  and  circumstances,  I  have  demon- 
strated that  wherever  believers  are  sanctified  wholly,  sin- 
ners will  be  converted.  Never  have  I  known  this  to  fail. 
The  sure  way  and  short  cut  to  precipitating  a  revival  is 
to  have  believers  sanctified. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  REVIVALS. 


75 


Mr.  Wesley  wrote:  ^^Indeed,  this  I  always  obser^^e, — 
wherever  a  work  of  sanctification  breaks  out,  the  whole 
work  of  God  prospers.  Some  are  convinced  of  sin,  others 
justified,  and  all  stirred  up  to  greater  earnestness  for  sal- 
vation.^^— Jcmrnal,  Aug.,  1775.  Again,  in  writing  to 
Rev.  John  Baxendale,  in  1875,  he  said:  "Indeed,  His 
work  will  flourish  in  every  place  where  full  sanctification 
is  clearly  and  strongly  preached.^^ — Worlcs,  Vol.  6,  p.  172, 
and  again  in  Vol.  6,  p.  721,  Mr.  Wesley  said:  "Where 
Christian  perfection  is  not  strongly  and  explicitly  preached, 
there  is  seldom  any  remarkable  blessing  from  God;  and 
consequently  little  addition  to  the  society,  and  little  life 
in  the  members  of  it.  .  .  .  Till  you  press  the  believers  to 
expect  full  salvation  now,  you  must  not  looh  for  any  re* 
vivalJ' 

The  sanctification  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  believers 
by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, instantly  precipitated  a  revival  such  as  the  world  had 
never  witnessed,  and  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  "about 
three  thousand  souls^^  the  first  day.  Speaking  to  the 
disciples  concerning  this  "second  blessing,^^ — the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Jesus  said,  "If  I  go  not  away,  the  Com- 
forter will  not  come  unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send 
him  unto  you.  And  when  He  is  come  (unto  you,  who  are 
already  converted)  He  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  and  of 
righteousness  and  of  judgment.^^  John  16:7,  8.  The 
sure  and  quick  way  to  bring  conviction  and  salvation  to 
the  unsaved,  is  for  the  church  herself  to  seek  and  obtain 
the  blessing  of  entire  sanctification  and  so  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Men  are  constantly  praying  for  the  Holy  Ghost  that 


76 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


they  might  use  Him,  but  what  is  needed,  is  that  believers 
so  utterly  devote  and  abandon  themselves  to  Him,  that 
He  may  purify  and  cleanse  them  from  all  sin,  and  then 
infill  and  use  them.  The  sanctification  of  one  believer 
often  means  the  salvation  of  many  souls. 

To  any  pastor  desiring  a  revival,  we  would  like  to  offer 
the  following  receipt,  and  will  unhesitatingly  guarantee 
that  where  this  receipt  is  followed  out,  a  revival  will  take 
place:  To  the  pastor, — If  clearly  justified,  seek  def- 
initely until  you  obtain  the  distinct  experience  of  entire 
sanctification;  then  bear  public  testimony  to  the  same, 
without  equivocation,  and  then  preach  definitely  on  the 
subject  of  entire  sanctification  until  at  least  six  members 
of  the  congregation  seek  and  obtain  a  definite  experience 
of  sanctification,  and  the  revival,  resulting  in  the  con- 
version of  sinners  is  assured.  It  has  been  tried  many 
times  and  never  known  to  fail.,  ^'And  the  heathen  shall 
know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  saith  the  Lord  God,  when  I 
shall  be  sanctified  in  you  before  their  eyes."   Ezek.  36 :23. 


V/ITNESSING  TO  SANCTIFICATION. 

Faith  is  driving  the  nail,  while  testimony  is  the  clinch- 
ing of  the  nail,  so  far  as  the  individual  is  concerned.  One 
of  the  most  effectual  weapons  for  defeating  the  enemy  is 
the  public  confession  and  declaration  of  faith.  ^'They 
overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word 
of  their  testimony/'  Indeed,  the  faith  that  saves  and  the 
declaration  of  the  same  are  inseparably  connected  in  the 


WITNESSING  TO  SANCTIFICATION. 


77 


Scripture.  ^Tor  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto 
righteousness ;  and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation/^ 

One  of  the  most  subtle  devices  of  Satan  is  to  suggest 
to  the  soul  who  has  recently  entered  the  blessing  of  sanc- 
tification  that  "it  is  not  necessary  that  much  be  said  about 
it;  simply  live  it/^  "If  you  will  but  live  it,  people 
will  know  that  you  are  sanctified^  and  there  will  be  no 
occasion  to  tell  them  so/^  Especially  are  these  expressions 
common  where  there  is  antagonism  to  the  doctrine,  the 
enemy  knowing  full  well  that  where  the  testimony  is 
withheld  the  experience  cannot  be  long  retained. 

The  facts  are,  life  and  lip  mrust  go  together.  He  w^ho 
will  not  confess  the  God-given  experience  will  soon  have 
no  experience  to  confess.  He  who  will  not  confess  it  will 
not  long  live  it  ;  and  he  who  will  not  live  it,  cannot 
long  confess  it.  The  life  and  the  testimony  go  hand  in 
hand.  The  sad  experience  and  testimony  of  multitudes 
has  been  that  they  have  lost  the  experience  because  they 
failed  to  definitely  witness  to  the  same.     The  Lord  says : 

"And  it  shall  be,  when  thou  art  come  in  unto  the  land 
(Canaan)  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an 
inheritance,  and  possessest  it,  and  dwellest  therein;  that 
thou  shalt  take  of  the  first  of  all  the  fruit  of  the  earth 
which  thou  shalt  bring  of  thy  land  that  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee,  and  shalt  put  it  in  a  basket,  and  shalt  go  unto 
the  place  where  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose  to  place 
His  name  there.  And  thou  shalt  go  unto  the  priest  that 
shall  be  in  those  days,  and  say  unto  him,  /  profess  this 
day  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  that  I  am  come  unto  the 
country  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  our  fathers  for  to  give 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


us/^ — Deut.  26  :l-3.  Here  we  see  the  divine  order  is  to 
fill  the  basket  with  the  fniit,  and  then  ^^professJ^  It  was 
not  enough  to  simply  show  the  fruit;  they  must  also 

The  reasons  for  giving  public  testimony  are  manifold. 
Firsts  if  God  has  wrought  the  work  we  should  publicly 
acknowledge  it  in  order  to  give  Him  all  the  glory.  That 
men  may  know  it  is  He,  and  not  we  ourselves  who  had 
effected  the  change.  Men  would  ascribe  the  glory  to  us, 
or  to  conditions,  or  change  of  circumstances,  hence  we 
need  continually  ^^declare  His  doings  among  the  people/^ 
and  "make  m^ention  that  His  name  is  exalted.^^  Second, 
public  testimony  is  the  perfecting  and  clinching  of  the 
faith  of  the  individual,  and  so  gives  the  victory  over  the 
adversary.  Third,  it  is  the  divine  method  for  acquaint- 
ing others  with  their  privileges.  This  is  one  of  the  ob- 
jects of  the  blessing:  "Ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you:  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses 
unto  mef  A  witness  is  supposed  to  tell  what  he  knows; 
and  the  more  controverted  the  matter  is,  the  miore  import- 
ant it  is  that  there  should  be  reliable  witnesses,  to  tell 
what  they  know,  in  order  to  confirm  the  truth.  "That 
in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  may 
be  established.^^ 

It  is  not  proper  to  say  "I  am-  holy,"  or,  "I  am  sancti- 
fied," etc.,  but  we  should  always  place  Jesus  foremost  in 
the  testimony;  certainly  no  one  could  reasonably  object  to 
a  man  saying,  "Jesus  has  cleansed  my  heart  from  all 
ein,"  or,  "Jesus  has  sanctifed  me  wholly,"  etc. 

There  is  great  blessing  and  reward  in  public  confession. 
Jesus  has  said,  "Whosoever  therefore  shall  confess  me 


SANCTIFICATION,  OR  ""cALL  IT  WHAT  YOU  PLEASE/"*  79 

before  men,  him  will  I  confess  also  before  My  Father 
which  is  in  heaven."  On  condition  that  we  stand  for 
Him  and  represent  Him  on  earth,  He  agrees  to  stand  Icc 
us  and  represent  us  in  heaven. 


SANCTIFICATION.  OR  ^^CALL  IT  WHAT  YOU 
PLEASE." 

There  are  those  who  tell  us  "there  is  nothing  in  a  namc/^ 
and  that  they  "are  not  sticklers  for  terms/^  etc.,  all  of 
which  is  misleading  and  a  subterfuge  of  Satan.  If  there 
is  nothing  in  a  name  what  occasion  is  there  to  have  any 
name  for  anything  or  anybody?  If  there  is  "nothing  in 
a  name/^  why  does  not  some  one  name  a  new-bom  child. 
Jezebel  or  Judas  Iscariot?  Even  a  so-called  infidel  or 
atheist  would  not  consent  to  have  a  child  thus  named. 
After  all^  there  is  something  in  a  name. 

We  know  that  in  the  Old  Testam;ent^  names  were  used 
which  were  significant  and  indicative  of  character;  and 
if  in  this  our  day  the  names  given  do  not  indicate  the 
character  of  the  child  who  must  wear  the  name^,  it  is  very 
often  indicative  of  the  character  of  those  who  gave  the 
name,  to-wit:  Eeligious  people  most  frequently  give  to 
their  children  some  Bible  name,  or  the  name  of  some  one 
who  has  been  prominent  in  the  religious  world.  For  in- 
stance, it  is  safe  to  suppose  that  the  parents  of  a  child, 
who  had  as  a  part  of  its  cognomen  the  name  Wesley,  were 
inclined  toward  Methodism,  if  not  themselves  in  the  en- 
joyment of  Methodist  religion.     It  would  indicate  that 


8o 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


they  were  admirers  of  Wesley,  and  therefore  must  be 
Arminian  in  faith,  etc. 

It  is  only  in  the  advocacy  of  the  experience  and  doc- 
trine of  entire  sanctification  that  men  wax  so  liberal  as  to 
say,  "Call  it  what  you  please  f  or  "\  don^t  care  what  you 
call  it/^  This,  so-called,  broad  and  liberal  method  of 
speaking  of  the  experience  of  sanctification  would  not  be 
permissible  or  tolerated  in  other  matters.  Very  few 
parents  would  be  ready  to  say  to  the  community  at  large, 
concerning  their  own  children,  "Call  them  what  you 
please/^  or  "I  don^t  care  what  you  call  them.^^  No,  they 
would  insist  that  the  name  they  themselves  had  given 
the  children  should  be  recognized.    And  so  it  should  be. 

Then  what  right  have  we  to  speak  of  an  experience  which 
God  Himself  has  named,  by  some  other  name  than  that 
given  by  Himself?  The  fact  that  the  name  may  not  bj 
a  popular  one,  or  does  not  meet  with  our  fancy,  woula 
surely  not  justify  us  in  trying  to  change  the  name,  or  in 
saying,  "Call  it  what  you  please.^^  While  we  may  not 
insist  on  the  use  of  just  one  term,  we  would  insist  that  it 
is  most  consistent  and  proper  to  use  the  terms  found  in 
the  Bible,  and  so  call  the  experience  God  has  given  by 
the  names  He  has  given  to  the  experience.  To  speaiv 
of  the  experience  of  sanctification  as  a  "deeper  work  of 
grace,^^  or  a  "higher  life/'  or  "a  great  blessing/'  etc,  may 
be  beautifully  indefinite,  and  not  occasion  offense  to  any- 
one, save  the  Spirit,  but  it  is  always  evasive,  and  an 
evidence  that  there  is  yet  an  unwillingness  to  go  without 
the  camp  and  bear  His  reproach.  Jesus  said,  "Whosoever 
shall  be  ashamed  of  Me  and.  of  My  words,  of  him  shall  the 
Son  of  Man  be  ashamed.'^ 


SANCTIFICATION,  OR  "'CALL  IT  WHAT  YOU  PLEASE/'  8i 

We  have  heard  it  said^  by  those  who  declare  there  is 
nothing  in  a  name^,  that  ^^a  rose  would  be  just  as  beautiful 
and  fragrant  if  called  by  some  other  name/^  While  that 
may  be  true,  we  would  nevertheless  insist  that  it  would  be 
very  misleading — and  an  evidence  of  ignorance  or  willful 
deception — to  call  a  rose  a  dandelion  or  a  pumpkin  vine, 
or  ^Tall  it  what  you  please/^  Unless  you  call  it  a  rose, 
no  one  would  be  likely  to  know  what  was  meant.  While 
it  might  not  effect  the  rose  to  call  it  by  some  other  name, 
it  would  certainly  affect  anyone  who  might  be  desiring  or 
seeking  for  a  rose.  So  it  is  certain  only  they  who  use 
the  definite  terms  of  the  Scripture  succeed  in  leading  per- 
sons into  the  experience  indicated  by  those  terms.  Hence 
it  is  that  when  men  preach  sanctification  in  a  vague, 
indefinite  manner,  no  one  knows  what  they  are  talking 
about — no  one  is  offended — and  no  one  seeks  and  obtains 
the  experience. 

Zachariah^s  mouth  was  never  opened  until  he  called  his 
child  by  the  name  God  himself  had  given.  But  when  he 
wrote,  ^^His  name  is  John,^^  ^^his  mouth  was  opened  im- 
mediately, and  his  tongue  loosed,  and  he  spake  and  praised 
God.^^  Give  the  child  the  name  that  God  has  given — ^ 
"sanctification,^^  "holiness,^^  "perfect  love,^^  etc.,  and  people 
will  know  what  you  are  talking  about.  Amen !  There 
is  perhaps  no  word  in  the  English  language  the  devil  hates 
more  tremendously  and  that  God  loves  and  blesses  more 
abundantly  than  the  uncompromising  use  of  the  word 
"Sanctification.^^  When  people  do  not  love  this  term,  it 
is  invariably  because  they  lack  the  experience.  As  soon 
as  the  experience  is  obtained  the  word  ceases  to  be  ob- 
jectionable and  becomes  most  delightful  and  attractive. 


S2 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


IF  SANCTIFIED,  HOW  COULD  A  PERSON  SIN? 

This  is  a  question  which  seems  to  distress  some  people 
rery  much.  They  ask  the  question  with  that  seriousness 
that  would  give  the  impression  that  they  would  regard  it 
a  great  calamity  and  misfortune  should  one  become  so 
thoroughly  saved  as  to  be  entirely  free  from  sin.  The 
inference  is  that  they  desire  a  little  license  or  liberty 
to  sin  occasionally,  should  they  desire  so  to  do,  hence  they 
would  not  be  willing  to  have  the  Lord  sanctify  theni, 
and  thus  deprive  them  of  this  privilege.  Of  such  we  can 
only  say,  there  is  no  occasion  for  their  being  exercised  on 
the  subject  of  sanctification.  Such  persons  have  not  reached 
the  place  where  sanctification  begins.  A  person  who  has 
not  yet  fully  abandoned  and  renounced  all  sin  is  not 
justified  and  therefore  is  no  proper  candidate  for  sancti- 
fication. 

Touching  the  question,  ^^f  sanctified,  how  can  a  person 
gin?^^  we  would  answer,  just  as  Adam  and  Eve,  who  were 
holy  and  in  the  image  of  God  could  sin ;  and  just  as  angels 
who  were  holy  and  in  the  very  presence  of  God  in  a  holy 
heaven  could  sin,  just  so  they  who  have  been  sanctifiel 
may  again  yield  to  temptation  and  fall  into  sin.  Sanctifi- 
cation does  not  exempt  men  from  temptation ;  and  neither 
does  sanctification  destroy  the  free  agency  of  man,  and  so 
change  him  into  a  machine.  A  sanctified  man  still  has 
the  exercise  of  his  own  free  will,  and  hence  has  the  power 
of  choice,  and  therefore  can  choose  that  which  is  for- 
bidden. 

Because  Adam  and  Eve  yielded  to  temptation  and  there- 
by made  a  wrong  choice,  is  not  in  evidence  that  they  had  not 


IF  SANCTIFIED,  HOW  COULD  A  PERSON  SIN? 


83 


been  created  holy  and  in  the  image  of  God.  If  the  reader 
will  explain  how  holy  angels  could  sin^  and  how  Adam 
and  Eve  could  sin^  they  will  have  explained  how  a  sancti- 
fied person  might  sin. 

Sanctified  people  do  not  say  that  they  have  not  the 
power  to  sin,  or  could  not  sin  if  they  wanted  to,  as 
they  are  frequently  charged.  But  they  do  say  that  they 
have  reached  a  place  where  they  do  not  want  to  sin,  and 
where  they  have  power  not  to  sin,  and  where  there  h 
no  occasion  or  necessity  to  commit  sin.  In  the  language 
of  John  Wesley  to  Miss  Jane  Hilton:  ^Two  things  are 
certain:  the  one,  that  it  is  possible  to  lose  even  the  pure 
love  of  God;  the  other,  that  it  is  not  necessary^,  it  is  not 
unavoidable;  it  may  be  lost,  hut  it  may  he  hept." — WorTcs, 
vol.  7,  p.  43. 

However,  sanctified  people  have  Just  as  much  right  to 
commit  sin  as  people  who  are  not  sanctified.  No  one  has 
license  or  liberty  to  commit  sin.  "He  that  commiteth  sin 
is  of  the  devil.^^  We  do  not  teach  that  men  should  seek 
sanctification  in  order  to  quit  sinning ;  a  person  has  to  turn 
from  and  forsake  all  sin  before  God  will  ever  hear  him  and 
pardon  him.  "If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart,  the  Lord 
will  not  hear  me/^  A  man  must  go  out  of  the  sin  bus- 
iness before  God  will  ever  save  him.  Genuine  convic- 
tion and  repentance  will  result  in  the  abhorrence  and  for- 
saking of  all  sin. 

"What  then  is  the  advantage  in  being  sanctified?"  Much 
every  way ;  while  there  is  yet  the  possibility  of  a  man  losing 
this  grace  out  of  his  heart  and  committing  sin,  the  inward 
responses  to  the  temptations  of  Satan  without,  have  ceased 
in  the  sanctified  soul,  hence  the  probabilities  and  liabili- 


84 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


ties  to  commit  sin  are  not  near  so  great,  as  where  there 
is  evil  within  and  a  foe  without.  When  inbred  sin  is 
eradicated,  and  the  inward  conflict  has  ended,  there  is  a 
free  hand  to  cope  with  the  enemy  without,  and  therefore 
victory  more  easy. 


WHAT  BECOMES  OF  PEOPLE  WHO  ARE  NOT 
SANCTIFIED? 

Sanctification  is  the  act  of  divine  grace  whereby  we  are 
made  holy.  It  is  certain  that  nothing  unholy  can  enter 
heaven.  Hence  we  read,  Heb.  12:14,  ^ToUow  after  peace 
with  all  men,  and  the  sanctification  without  which  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord.^^  (Eevised  version).  If  Christ  had  not 
regarded  our  sanctification  as  necessary  and  essential  to 
our  salvation.  He  certainly  would  never  have  ^^suffered 
without  the  gate  that  he  might  sanctify  the  people  with  His 
own  blood.'^  (Heb.  13  :12).  The  carnal  mind  or  inbred 
sin  is  unholiness,  and  cannot  enter  heaven.  Will  God 
receive  into  heaven  the  carnal  mind  which  is  the  very 
quintessence  of  enmity  against  Himself?  Never.  While 
justification  gives  us  the  right  to  heaven,  it  requires  entire 
sanctification  to  give  us  the  fitness  for  heaven.  So  the- 
question,  "May  I  not  get  to  heaven  without  sanctification?^' 
is  not  a  proper  question  for  any  Christian  to  ask,  seeing 
that  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.  The 
proper  question  Christians  might  ask  is.  How  long  can  I 
refuse  and  reject  holiness  and  still  remain  justified?  No 
man  is  condemned  or  lost  because  he  was  born  into  this 
world  with  the  carnal  mind  or  inbred  sin  in  him  ;  but  all 
men  will  be  condemned  and  lost  for  rejecting  the  light 


WHAr  BECOMES  OF  PEOPLE  WHO  ARE  NOT  SANCTIFIED?  85 


and  refusing  to  be  sanctified  wholly.  ^^This  is  the  con- 
demnation, that  light  is  come/^  The  measure  of  our  light 
is  the  measure  of  our  responsibility.  To  refuse  holiness 
is  to  disobey  God ;  and  disobedience  is  sin,  and  sin  brings 
guilt  and  condemnation  and  death.  A  man  is  not  con- 
demned for  having  been  born  with  sin  in  him;  it  is  noo 
the  result  of  his  volition,  or  an  act  of  his  part.  This 
was  transmitted  to  us  by  the  laws  of  heredity  as  a  result 
of  Adam^s  disobedience;  we  are  not  condemned  for  some- 
thing we  have  not  done.  Condemnation  can  only  set  in 
with  reference  to  inbred  sin,  when  we  neglect  and  refuse 
to  walk  in  the  light,  and  so  disobey  God.  Condemned, 
not  for  having  inbred  sin,  but  for  disobedience  in  refusing 
deliverance  from  the  same.  Here  is  where  many  lose 
their  justification  and  utterly  backslide.  A  person  under 
condemnation  is  not  eligible  to  sanctification,  but  has 
need  of  pardon.  Conviction  of  need  and  condemnation 
for  disobedience  are  two  different  things. 

But  it  is  urged  by  some  that  their  friends  and  loved 
ones  had  never  heard  it  preached  and  so  had  not  refused 
sanctification  and  yet  they  had  certainly  died  triumphantly 
and  gone  to  heaven.  If  they  did  not  hear  it  preached  and 
knew  nothing  about  their  privilege  in  this  matter,  then 
they  did  not  disobey  God  by  refusing  and  rejecting  it; 
and  here  the  case  differs  with  that  of  the  objector.  We 
see  that  walking  in  the  light  is  essential  and  the  condition 
of  continued'  justification.  Whoever  walks  in  all  the  light 
he  has  and  so  retains  justification,  unquestionably  enters 
heaven.  We  will  endeavor  to  illustrate  this  point  by  the 
explanation  of  another  point.  By  way  of  illustration  we 
will  consider  the  infant  in  its  innocency.   All  infants  dy- 


86 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


ing  in  innocency  go  to  heaven,  and  yet  it  is  true  of  all 
children,  as  David  said  of  himself,  '^^Behold,  I  was  shapen 
in  iniquity;  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me.'* 
(Ps.  51:5).  To  condemiii  the  babe  for  something  it 
did  not  do,  and  knows  nothing  of,  would  be  nnjust; 
to  receive  it  into  heaven  with  the  evil  nature  or  carnal 
mind  which  was  born  in  the  child,  would  be  to  admit  sin 
into  heaven.  So  the  only  explanation  or  solution  of  the 
problem  is,  the  child  by  virtue  of  its  innocence,  at  the  mo- 
ment of  its  d€ath,  that  had  the  unconditional  benefit  of  the 
atonement  and  the  application  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  to 
cleanse  it  from  inbred  sin,  and  then  went  sweeping  through 
the  gates.  While  we  never  had  committed  any  sins,  and 
so  had  no  sins  pardoned,  it  was  cleansed  by  the  blood  of 
Jesus  from  inbred  sin — the  root  of  all  sin — and  so  with 
all  the  redeemed.  ^^Washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.^^ 
Some  urge  that  the  babe  is  born  pure,  but  in  so  saying, 
they  rule  the  child  out  of  the  atonement;  for  if  the  child 
is  born  pure  and  dies  in  its  innocency,  it  would  need  no 
Savior,  nor  atonement,  nor  shed  blood,  but  would  be  pure 
by  virtue  of  its  birth. 

So  if  a  justified  man  has  walked  in  all  the  light  he  has 
had,  and  has  had  no  knowledge  of  his  need  or  privilege  of 
being  cleansed  from  inbred  sin,  it  would  be  unjust  to 
condemn  him  for  that  which  he  did  not  do,  and  knows 
nothing  of ;  on  the  other  hand  to  take  him  into  heaven  with 
inbred  sin  would  be  to  admit  of  sin  into  heaven ;  so  we  arc 
compelled  to  concede  and  glad  to  believe  that  such  have  the 
unconditional  cleansing  from  inbred  sin  at  the  moment 
of  their  death,  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  they  had  walked 
in  all  the  light  they  had;  not  that  death  cleansed  them, 


I  CANNOT  SEE  INTO  SANCi"IFICATION. 


87 


for  death  has  no  saving  power^  but  at  the  moment  of  their 
death  the  blood  of  Jesus  cleansed  them  from  inbred  sin, 
and  they  went  sweeping  through  the  gates  washed  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.  This  has  been  designated  as  dying 
grace;  but  even  in  such  a  case,  sanctification  was  a  second 
experience.  We  may  not  wait  to  be  cleansed  at  death 
because  of  the  light  that  has  come  to  us,  the  refusal  of 
which  would  be  disobedience  and  sin,  and  so  would  for- 
feit to  us  our  justification.  ^^If  we  walk  in  the  light,  as 
He  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another, 
and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son,  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin.''  I.  John,  1 :7. 


"I  CANNOT  SEE  INTO  SANCTIFICATION." 

The  caption  of  this  article  is  an  oft-repeated  statement 
made  by  persons  who  hesitate  in  seeking  the  blessing  of 
entire  sanctification  when  urged  to  do  so.  By  this  they 
mean  to  say,  they  do  not  understand  the  subject,  and 
therefore  refuse  to  seek  it. 

To  such  we  say,  if  a  sinner  refused  to  seek  pardon  until 
he  could  "see  into  it,*'  and  understand  all  about  the  modus 
operandi — ^he  never  would  be  saved.  The  facts  are,  no 
man  can  understand  or  explain  all  about  the  science  or 
philosophy  of  the  new  birth,  nor  any  other  experience 
divinely  inwrought.  Nevertheless,  multitudes  who  have 
believed  and  entered  in,  are  glad  witnesses  to  the  glorious 
facts  of  a  personal  experience  both  to  the  regenerating 
and  sanctifying  power  of  God. 

No  man  is  required  to  '^see  into  it,'^  or  understand  all 
about  it,  either  before  or  after  the  experience.    One  may 


88 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


understand  little  or  nothing  about  surgery  and  yet  may 
experience  tlie  amputation  of  a  finger  or  some  other  mem- 
ber of  the  body.  It  is  enough  that  he  who  performs  the 
operation  understands  the  how  sufficiently  to  accom- 
plish what  needs  to  be  done. 

With  most  people  it  is  not  so  mjuch  mental  diffi^culties 
that  keep  them  out  of  the  experience,  as  it  is  heart  diffi- 
culties; something  the  heart  is  iiot  willing  to  yield  to 
God.  When  persons  are  willing  to  ^^see  into  sanctifica- 
tion/^  it  is  not  difficult  to  make  them  imderstand  at  least 
the  theory  of  sanctification  as  a  second  experience. 

To  such  an  one  we  would  simply  point  out  the  two- 
fold nature  of  sin — sin  as  an  act,  committed,  which  re- 
quires repentance  and  pardon,  and  sin  as  a  nature  or 
principle  inherited,  innate,  inborn,  which  requires  cleans^ 
ing.  Sins  committed  may  be  forgiven,  but  the  sin-nature 
inherited,  cannot  be  forgiven,  because  it  is  not  something 
we  have  done,  or  the  result  of  any  volition  on  our  part; 
it  was  bom  in  us,  and  it  would  be  folly  to  ask  God  to  for- 
give that  out  of  us,  or  to  ask  God  to  forgive  us  for  hav- 
ing been  thus  born.  In  the  nature  of  things  God  cannot 
forgive  me  something  I  have  not  done,  something  which 
is  not  the  result  of  my  volition ;  while  He  cannot  forgive 
inbred  sin.  He  can  nevertheless  eradicate,  destroy  and 
cleanse  out  of  the  heart  the  very  sin-nature,  ^^and  purify 
unto  Himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.'^ 

This  is  just  what  He  proposes  to  do,  and  that  brings  an 
experimental  knowledge  of  sanctification.  Any  one  walk- 
ing in  the  clear  light  of  justification  will  soon  discover 
within  himself  the  presence  of  this  ^^evil  nature,'^  mani- 
festing itself  in,  anger,  pride,  fear,  doubt,  unholy  ambition, 


DARKNESS  AND  HEAVINESS. 


89 


unholy  appetites,  &c.,  all  of  which  is  contrary  to  the  new 
life,  and  thus  become  convinced  of  his  need  of  this  cleans- 
ing; this  sense  of  need,  with  the  knowledge  that  ^^This  is 
the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctification^^  is  all  that  one 
needs  to  understand  in  order  to  obtain  this  glorious  ex- 
perience. 

A  person  will  know  more  in  five  minutes  after  receiving 
the  experience  than  he  could  have  known  in  ten  years  of 
reasoning  and  theorizing.  "If  any  man  will  do  His  will 
he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine.^^  John  7:17. 


DARKNESS  AND  HEAVINESS. 

These  terms  are  used  by  many  professors  as  synonymouS; 
but  the  Scriptures  never  use  them  interchangeably.  While 
"heaviness'*  is  compatible  with  holiness  and  fellowship 
with  God,  darkness  is  not.  In  1  John  1:5,  6  we  read, 
"God  isi  light,  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all.  If  we  say 
that  we  have  fellowship  with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness, 
we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth.'^  It  is  sin  that  brings  dark- 
ness. Hence  sin  is  spoken  of  as  ''the  unfruitful  works 
of  darkness  the  soul  redeemed  by  grace  is  said  to  have 
been  called  ''out  of  darkness  into  His  marvelous  light." 

Certain  it  is  that  sin  beclouds  the  vision  of  the  soul  and 
shuts  out  the  light  of  God.  To  say  that  a  soul  is  in  dark- 
ness is  equivalent  to  saying  that  some  sin  has  entered  the 
heart  and  life,  and  so  broken  the  fellowship  between  the 
soul  and  God,  and  consequently  the  soul  is  left  to  grope 
in  darkness.  Seeing  that  God  cannot  countenance  sin, 
we  can  understand  why  God  has  said,  "If  we  say  that  we 
have  fellowship  with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie. 


90 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


and  do  not  the  truth.  But  if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  He 
is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin/' 

While  "seasons  of  darkness^^  are  not  consistent  with  any 
degree  of  salvation  it  is  well  for  us  to  distinguish  between 
"darkness^^  and  "heaviness/^  In  1  Pet.  1:5,  6,  we  read  of 
a  people  "who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith 
tmto  salvation  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  time,  where- 
in ye  greatly  rejoice,  though  now  for  a  season,  if  need  be, 
ye  are  in  heaviness  through  manifold  temptations.^^  Sin 
brings  darkness,  while  "manifold  temptation"  brings 
'Tieaviness."  Unless  the  soul  distinguishes  between  the 
two,  it  is  in  danger  of  making  shipwreck  of  faith.  For. 
be  it  remembered  that  Satan  takes  advantage  of  our  moods. 
When  a  soul  is  suffering  some  temptations  and  consequent 
heaviness,  Satan  is  most  likely  to  whisper  to  that  soul, 
"you  don^t  feel  as  you  once  did,  or  as  others  say  they  feel,'^ 
and  then  insinuates  that  "the  probabilities  are  either  you 
never  had  the  blessing  of  sanctification  or  else  that  you 
have  lost  it."  And  having  thus  taken  the  attention  and 
eye  away  from  Jesus  to  yourself,  and  so  started  the  wedge 
of  doubt  into  your  soul,  he  will  whisper  most  adroitly. 
"You  know  you  do  not  feel  as  you  once  did,  and  the  prob- 
abilities are  you  have  lost  the  bkssing;  at  any  rate,  you 
not  want  to  be  a  hypocrite  and  profess  what  you  do  not 
have,  and  so  you  better  say  no  more  about  sanctification  un- 
til you  feel  different;"  having  listened  to  the  devil,  and 
having  first  given  up  your  faith  and  now  given  up  your 
testimony — all  because  you  were  in  heaviness  and  did  not 
feel  as  you  desired — it  is  easy  to  see  that  defeat  is  inevita- 


DARKNESS  AND  HEAVINESS. 


91 


ble.  Many  have  lost  their  experience  right  at  this  point, 
simply  because  they  did  not  understand  that  heaviness  was 
consistent  with  holiness^  and  did  not  indicate  the  loss  of 
divine  favor.  ^^Kept  by  the  power  of  God/^  and  "ready 
to  be  revealed  in  the  last  time/'  ^'though  now  for  a  season, 
if  need  be,  ye  are  in  heaviness,  through  manifold  tempta- 
tions.^^ 

The  same  persons  of  whom  He  said  they  had  a  "lively 
hope/'  and  were  "elect  according  to  the  fore-knowledge  of 
God/'  and  ''ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  time/'  are  still 
subject  to  temptation  and  seasons  of  heaviness.  Tli-e  fact 
that  there  was  heaviness  did  not  indicate  that  they  were 
not  "kept.'' 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  it  is  impossible  for  any- 
one always  to  feel  just  the  same^  and  that  God  has  never 
told  us  to  feel,  nor  required  any  certain  amoimt  of  feel- 
ing. It  is  not  by  our  feeling  but  by  our^  faith  that  we  stand 
and  honor  God.  Temptations  will  come,  but  temptation 
is  not  sin.  We  are  told  to  "count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall 
into  divers  temptations.''  If  the  devil  is  after  you  it 
proves  he  has  not  got  you,  and  because  of  this  you  may 
well  rejoice.  Not  only  so,  but  the  trial  of  your  faith  will 
mean  the  development  and  perfecting  of  your  faith  which 
will  bring  "a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory/'  both  in  this  world  and  the  world  to  come! 


92 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

God  does  not  purpose  that  we  should  be  left  in  doubt  and 
uncertainty  relative  to  things  pertaining  to  our  eternal 
salvation.  Hence  we  read,  when  a  soul  has  truly  repented 
and  been  regenerated  by  the  HolyGhost,  and  adopted 
into  the  family  of  God,  that,  "The  Spirit  itself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God." 
(Eom.  8:16). 

And  just  as  certainly  and  distinctly  as  the  "Spirit  it- 
self beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  child- 
ren of  God,^^  so  surely  He  in  like  manner  bears  witness 
to  the  subsequent  work  of  Sanctification.  We  read  in 
Hebrews  10 : 14-15,  "For  by  one  offering  He  hath  perfected 
forever  them  that  are  sanctified,  whereof  the  Holy  Ghost 
also  is  a  witness  to  us." 

To  what  intent  is  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  if  it  is  not 
to  give  us  positive  assurance  and  knowledge  of  our  rela- 
tion to  God.  Hence  none  should  take  things  for  granted 
and  assume  and  presume  that  they  are  in  possession  of 
grace  to  which  the  Spirit  does  not  bear  witness.  This  was 
the  teaching  of  Mr.  Wesley:  "None,  therefore  ought  to 
believe  that  the  work  is  done  till  there  is  added  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Spirit  witnessing  his  entire  sanctification  as 
clearly  as  his  justification/^       (Plain  Account  p.  70.) 

However,  we  would  note  that  faith  precedes,  or  rather 
is  the  condition  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit.  •  We 
cannot  come  into  possession  of  either  justification  or 
sanctification  until  we  believe  for  it;  and  we  cannot  exer- 
cise heart  faith  until  we  come  on  believing  ground,  where 
every  scriptural  requirement  has  been  complied  with.  So 
the  divine  order  is  that  we  first  meet  the  conditions — pay 


THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 


93 


down  the  price — and  having  done  this,  which  is  our  part^ 
we  now  believe  that  according  to  His  promise  God  does 
now  perform  and  accomplish  His  part;  and  that  when  we 
thus  come  where  the  soul  ^T)elieveth  on  the  Son  of  God 
(for  the  blessing  sought)  he  hath  the  witness  in  himself/' 
That  is,  the  instant  faith  really  lays  hold  on  the  promise 
God  sends  a  telegram  from  the  skies  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
that  the  bank  of  Heaven  has  honored  the  draft  and 
^^counted^^  out  to  us  the  sum  that  faith  had  appropriated. 
The  man  or  woman  who  has  this  certificate,  bearing  the 
witness  and  signature  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  has  no  oc- 
casion to  ''hope''  he  has  the  blessing,  nor  will  it  matter 
much  to  him  what  any  person  may  think  or  say  about  it, 
even  though  he  be  the  preacher,  presiding  elder  or  bishop, 
seeing  he  has  heard  from  heaven.  He  does  not  require 
visions  nor  the  witness  of  men  and  angels,  having  heard 
from  higher  authority. 

What  constitutes  the  witness  of  the  Spirit?  This  may 
be  difficult  to  explain,  seeing  the  Spirit  has  innumerable 
ways  of  bearing  witness.  In  brief,  the  witness  of  the  spirit 
is  the  divine  assurance,  the  voice  of  God  in  the  soul,  that 
gives  the  conviction  or  knowledge  to  our  inner  conscious- 
ness, that  the  blessing  sought  is  now  mine.  Many  have 
supposed  that  it  consisted  in  great  ecstacies  and  raptur- 
ous joy;  or  a  something  in  which  one  would  experience  a 
sensation  similar  to  that  which  one  might  realize  in  tak- 
ing hold  of  some  galvanic  battery.  That  there  are  cases 
where  such  manifestations  are  experienced  we  do  not  ques- 
tion. But  it  is  nevertheless  well  to  remember  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  can  bear  testimony  to  our  inner  consciousness 
without  exciting  our  emotions.    It  may  be  just  an  un- 


94 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


mistakable  impression  or  conviction  that  will  bring  great 
quietude  and  restfiilness :  a  divine  enabling  to  appropriate 
and  consciously  rest  on  the  Word  of  God. 

It  was  the  same  Holy  Spirit  who  came  upon  Jesus  in 
the  form  of  a  dove^  that  came  upon  the  desciples  as  ^^a 
rushing  mighty  wind/^  There  is  not  much  demonstration 
in  a  dove^ — ^simply  the  gentle,  subdued  cooing.  Perhaps 
we  are  safe  in  saying  that  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit 
are  rather  the  result  of  the  witness  of  the  spirit.  We  are 
not  to  seek  any  certain  manifestation,  but  we  are  to  be 
lieve  God,  and  then  the  Holy  Ghost  will  bear  witness,  and 
lift  us  out  of  the  region  of  doubt  and  uncertainty  into 
assurance,  knowledge  and  victory.  ^Tt  is  the  Spirit  that 
beareth  witness  because  the  Spirit  is  truth.    (1  John  5  :6.) 


"HIM"  OR  "IT.'* 

Under  the  pretext  of  advanced  spirituality,  we  some- 
times hear  men  say,  with  a  very  significant  shrug  of  the 
shoulders  and  shake  of  the  head,  it  is  not  an  "if  ^  they 
want,  or  have,  but  "Him,^^  meaning  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Now,  all  this  sounds  very  nice^  and  to  the  unsophisti- 
cated, has  the  semblance  of  deep  spirituality  and  superi- 
ority of  experience ;  but  the  Bible  student  with  experience 
and  knowledge  of  the  Satanic  devices,  and  traits  and  tricks 
of  the  "old  man,^^  at  once  understands  that  in  most  in- 
stances such  a  speech  is  simply  a  "take  off,^^  and  an  evas- 
ive dodge  gendered  by  a  lack  of  spirituality  and  antipathy 
to  a  definite  experience  of  heart  purity  obtained  by  en- 
tire sanctification.  We  have  found  that  the  carnal  mind 
does  not  object  to  seeking  a  "deeper  work  of  grace,"  or, 


95 


"a  baptism  of  power  for  service/^  or,  ^^more  of  the  Holy 
Spirit/'  so  long  as  there  is  no  insistence  on  the  eradica- 
tion and  destruction  of  the  sin-nature — the  self-life. 

In  this  same  connection  we  hear  it  said,  ^^it  is  not  the 
blessing  we  want,  but  the  Blesser."  This  is  about  equiva- 
lent to  saying,  ''it  is  not  the  sunshine  I  want,  but  the 
sun/'  or,  ''it  is  not  water  I  want,  but  the  fountain/'  But 
what  is  the  sun  for  but  to  give  forth  sunshine;  what  is 
a  fountain  for  but  to  give  forth  water;  and  what  is  a 
Blesser  for  but  to  bestow  blessings?  Even  so  "He" — the 
Holy  Spirit — comes  into  the  heart  to  do  certain  things  in 
ns  and  for  us. 

Paul  was  never  beyond  speaking  of  'T3lessings,^^  and 
burst  forth  in  thanksgiving  for  the  same:  ^^Blessed  be  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed 
us  with  all  spiritual  llessings  in  heavenly  places  {things, 
marg.)  in  Christ:  according  as  He  hath  chosen  us  in  Him 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be 
holy  and  without  blame  before  Him  in  love.^^  Eph.  1 :3-4. 
In  writing  to  the  Eomans  he  said,  ^^I  am  sure  that  when 
I  come  unto  you,  I  shall  come  in  tJie  fullness  of  the  blessing 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ."  Eom.  15  :29. 

He  also  spoke  of  an  ^^it,'^  to  "the  church  of  the  Thes- 
salonians  which  is  in  God  the  Father  and  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ/^  after  praying  in  their  behalf,  "the  very 
God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly,"  he  assured  them,  by 
saying,  "faithful  is  He  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do 
IT."  1  Thess.,  5  :23-24.  In  connection  with  the  historic 
Pentecost  we  read,  "And  suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from 
heaven  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  and  IT  filled  all 
the  house  where  th^ey  were  sitting.    And  there  appeared 


96 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


unto  them  cloven  tongues  as  of  fire,  and  IT  sat  upon  each 
of  them/^  So  we  see  there  was  an  "it^^  in  connection  with 
the  Pentecost,  hence  this  term  should  not  be  very  ob- 
jectionable. 

We  would  insist  that  before  any  one  can  have  the  Holy 

Spirit  in  His  indwellings  abiding  presence  and  pente- 
costal  fullness,  he  must  receive  the  ''it"  of  sanctification, — 
that  is,  the  cleansing  of  the  heart  from  inbred  sin.  ^Taith- 
ful  is  He  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it.^^  If  we  would 
have  the  ^'Blesser^^  we  must  have  the  ^TDlessings/*  to  the 
end  "that  we  should  be  holy.^^  Well  for  us  if  we  have 
*'the  fullness  of  the  blessing  of  the  gospel  of  Christ/' 
then  there  will  be  no  objection  to  ''it/'  and  no  occasion  or 
disposition  to  use  evasive  terms. 


DIVINE  GUIDANCE. 

A  truly  consecrated  soul  will  have  no  struggle  about 
doing  what  it  apprehends  and  knows  clearly  to  be  the 
will  of  God.  If  truly  consecrated  it  was  settled  oiice  for 
all  that  knowing  the  will  of  God,  there  must  be  unhesi- 
tating obedience.  However,  consecrated  souls  may  at 
times  have  some  difReulty  in  discerning  clearly  and  know- 
ing positively  what  is  the  will  of  God  concerning  some 
given  matter.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  writer  to  suggest 
a  few  general  principles  whereby  the  soul  may  be  able  to 
"try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God,"  when  there  are 
conflicting  voices. 

First.  Any  leading  or  impression  that  may  come  should 
have  a  rigid  comparison  with  the  Word  of  God.  The 
Spirit  of  God  never  leads  any  one  contrary  to  the  written 


DIVINE  GUIDANCE. 


97 


Word  of  God.  The  Spirit  and  the  Word  agree.  When 
there  is  the  least  divergence  from  the  spirit  of  the  Word, 
or  conflict  with  any  passage  of  the  letter  of  the  Word  of 
God^  the  leading  or  impression  is  from  the  devil. 

Second.  False  spirits  always  plead  personal  and  tempor- 
al interests^  such  as  gain^  or  pleasure^  or  ease,  or  popularity, 
whereas  the  Spirit  of  God  always  pleads  the  glory  of 
God,  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  rewards  eternal.  Ask- 
ing the  question  as  to  where  or  how  we  may  win  the  most 
souls,  or  best  promote  the  glory  of  God  will  bring  the  an- 
swer to  many  perplexing  problems. 

Third.  A  false  spirit  will  invariably  drivej,  so  that  there 
is  little  or  no  time  for  meditation,  deliberation  and  prayer, 
and  the  soul  becomes  confused,  and  chafed,  and  bewildered, 
and  distressed,  whereas  Jesus  invariably  leads  and  in- 
clines, and  wooes,  and  draws  the  soul,  by  working  in  us. 
^T3oth  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure.'^  Satan 
drives.  *'He  brake  the  bands  and  was  driven  of  the  devil.'* 
Jesus  leads.  *^When  He  putteth  forth  his  own  sheep  He 
goeth  before  them,  and  the  sheep  follow  Him.^^  Jesus  leads, 
and  there  is  always  time  for  deliberation  and  prayer. 

Fourth.  The  use  of  sanctified  common  sense.  The  soul 
truly  and  really  led  by  the  Spirit  can  not  be  charged  with 
folly,  as  He  never  leads  any  one  to  any  thing  foolish,  or 
contrary  to  good,  sound,  sanctified  common  sense.  The 
gray  matter  in  one's  skull  is  for  use.  True,  God  may  call 
a  man  to  do  that  which  is  above  or  beyond  human  com- 
pTehension,  so  that  the  human  mind  may  not  understand 
the  why  and  the  wherefore,  and  men  whose  minds  are  dark- 
ened by  sin  may  pronounce  the  act  of  obedience  as  foolish, 
nevertheless  the  vindication  for  the  act  will  finally  come. 


98 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


if  in  keeping  with  good  sanctified  common  sense.  We 
are  supposed  to  use  all  the  sense  God  has  given  us,  and  may 
rest  assured  that  He  will  never  direct  to  foolishness. 

Fifth.  Providential  indications  should  ever  be  taken 
into  account.  The  leadings  of  God  and  the  px*ovidences  of 
God  will  invariably  harmonize. 

If  the  Spirit  of  God  leads  a  man  to  a  certain  work, 
along  a  given  line^  the  hand  of  God  by  His  providences, 
will  open  the  door  and  open  the  way  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  same.  God  never  leads  a  man  to  do  the  im- 
possible. He  will  provide  the  means,  and  the  way  for 
the  accomplishment  of  His  own  will  and  purpose.  So  there 
need  be  no  throwing  down  of  doors,  upon  our  part,  but 
simply  the  entering  of  the  open  door. 

6.  Entire  consecration  must  ever  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Boul  that  would  make  no  mistake,  but  discern  plainly  the 
will  of  God.  When  there  is  no  pre-arranged  plan  or  pro- 
gram, and  no  personal  preference  or  choice  but  the  will 
of  God,  the  vision  is  undimmed  and  the  voice  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  unmistakable. 


"SINLESS  PERFECTION." 

"Sinless  perfection'^  is  a  term  used  only  by  those  who 
deny  the  possibility  of  any  perfection.  We  are  frequently 
asked,  "Do  you  believe  in  sinless  perfection?'^  Our  answer 
is,  "We  never  use  that  term,  first,  because  it  is  an  unscrip- 
tural  term,  and,  second,  because  it  is  an  ambiguous  term. 
It  all  depends  on  what  is  meant  by  the  term  * 'sinless  per- 
fection.' " 


SINLESS  PERFECTION. 


00 


In  asking  the  question;,  *^Do  you  believe  in  sinless  per- 
fection/' they  usually  mean  to  say,  ^^Do  you  believe  in  be- 
coming so  good  and  holy  you  could  not  sin  if  you  wanted 
to?''  We  answer,  if  this  is  meant,  ^'JSTo,  we  do  not  believe  ie 
^sinless  perfection/ 

But  if  by  ^^sinless  perfection'^  is  meant  a  salvation  thai 
saves  men  perfectly  from  all  sin,  we  would  answer  in  the 
affirmative,  and  insist  that  the  Bible  teaches  that  sort  of 
''sinless  perfection."  We  insist  that  if  Jesus  Christ  can 
save  a  man  from  any  sin.  He  can  save  Him  from  all  sin. 
This  is  the  promise,  ''If  we  walk  in  the  light  .  .  . 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin."    1  John  1 :7. 

While  we  do  not  teach  or  believe  any  man  can  become  so 
good  and  holy  he  could  not  sin  if  he  wanted  to,  we  do 
believe  and  teach  that  men  may  be  so  thoroughly  saved  they 
wilj  not  want  to,  and  by  the  grace  of  God,  do  not  commit 
sin.  We  do  not  say,  we  have  not  power  to  sin,  yet  all  may 
know  of  an  experience  where  thew  have  power  not  to  com- 
mit sin.  ''He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil.  .  .  . 
Whosoever  is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin.^' 

Perfection,  as  applied  to  religious  experience  has  to  do 
with  quality  rather  than  quantity.  We  must  ever  dis- 
tinguish between  purity  and  maturity.  A  child  may  be 
just  as  perfect  as  a  child  as  an  adult  is  perfect  as  an  adult. 
If  Satan  can  make  a  man  a  perfect  sinner,  then  Jesus 
Christ  can  make  a  man  a  perfect  Christian. 

Perfection  is  not  a  human  attainment  .It  is  not  some- 
thing we  do,  so  much  as  something  God  does  for  us. 

The  only  perfection  we  may  hope  to  reach  is  tlie  perfect 
Hon  of  love.  That  is  the  perfection  enjoined  in  Matt.  5 :48. 


ICO 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


All  Christians  have  love;,  but  all  Christians  do  not  have 
perfect  love.  "Perfect  love  easteth  out  fear:  because  fear 
hath  torment.  He  that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect  in 
love/^ 

Who  then  is  a  perfect  Christian?  He  whose  heart  is 
cleansed  from  all  sin^  and  filled  with  pure^,  unmixed  love, 
so  that  he  loves  God  with  all  his  heart,  and  his  neighbor  as 
himself.  Three  tests  of  perfect  love  may  be  found  as  fol- 
lows: 

Obedience  to  the  Word,  I  John  2:5;  Love  one  to  an- 
other, I  John  4:12;  Freedom  from  tormenting  fear,  I 
John  4:17,  18. 

"FIRST  PURE,  THEN  PEACEABLE." 

Holiness  is  not  only  freedom  from  sin,  but  means  an- 
tagonism to  sin.  God  not  only  saves  men  from  sin,  who 
will  repent  and  walk  in  the  light,  but  is  unalterably  op- 
posed to  sin,  and  will  punish  all  who  resist  and  continue  to 
sin.  To  be  at  peace  with  sin  ^is  to  be  at  variance  with  God, 
and  to  cry  ^Teace,  peace,  when  there  is  no  peace.^^  ( Jer.  8 : 
11.)  Hence  we  read  '^^That  the  friendship  of  the  world  is 
enmity  with  God ;  whosoever,  therefore,  will  be  a  friend  of 
the  world  is  the  enemy  of  God.^^  ( Jas.  4 :4.)  The  attitude  of 
silent  acquiescence  is  the  spirit  of  compromise.  While 
Jesus  says  to  His  blood-washed  disciple,  ^Teace  I  leave 
with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you.^^  John  14:27;  He 
also  says,  ^'Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  send  peace  on 
earth:  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword.^^  (Matt. 
10:34.) 

The  purified  soul  is  at  peace  and  in  harmony  with 
everything  that  is  pure,  but  must  wage  an  unrelenting  war- 


FIRST  PURE  THEN  PEACEABLE. 


lOI 


fare  against  everything  that  is  evil.  The  same  passage 
containing  the  injunction  to  'Treach  the  Word/'  says, 
'^Eeprove,  rebuke/'  (2  Tim.  4:2.)  "Them  that  sin  re^ 
bnke  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear.''  (1  Tim.  5  :  20.) 
"Cry  alond,  spare  not^  lift  np  thy  voice  like  a  trumpet, 
and  shew  my  people  their  transgressions,  and  the  house  of 
Jacob  their  sins."  Isa.  58 :1.  Wliosoever  does  this  will 
incur  the  displeasure  of  those  who  are  unwilling  to  for- 
sake sin,  and  vnll  be  regarded  as  a  disturber  of  the  peace, 
creating  dissension  and  strife.  "They  hate  him  that  re- 
buketh  in  the  gate,  and  they  abhor  him  that  speaketh  up- 
rightly." Amos  5  :10. 

It  is  frequently  urged  that  the  preaching  of  holiness 
causes  division  in  the  church — and  so  it  does — and  rightly 
so.  Men  who  do  not  want  purity  and  holiness  want  sin. 
There  is  nothing  else  to  want.  And  "he  that  committeth 
sin  is  of  the  devil."  1  John  3  :8.  However,  the  preaching  of 
holiness  does  not  create  the  division;  it  simply  reveals  the 
division  that  already  exists — and  must  forever  exist — be- 
tween the  lovers  of  purity  and  the  lovers  of  impurity.  Such 
a  division  is  scriptural,  and  essential  to  the  real  progress 
of  the  work  of  God.  The  Apostle  Paul  encouraged  thi^ 
division,  when,  referring  to  the  "lovers  of  pleasure  having 
a  form  of  godliness  but  denying  the  power,"  he  said  "from 
such  turn  away,"  2  Tim.  3  :4-5.  "If  there  come  any  unto 
you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive  him  not  into  your 
house,  neither  bid  him  God  speed;  for  he  that  biddeth  him 
God  speed  is  a  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds,"  2  John  10:11. 
It  is  just  as  much  a  religious  duty  to  frown  at  evil  as  to  re- 
joice in  the  truth.  Because  Eli  ^^fro^ned  not"  (marg.  I 
Sam.,  3:13)  upon  his  sons  when  they  did  evil^  the  wrath 


102 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


of  God  came  upon  him.  Before  there  can  be  scriptural 
peace  there  must  be  purity.  The  preaching  of  sanctification 
does  not  divide  pure  people,  it  unites  them.  Jesus  prayed 
'^sanctify  them  that  they  all  may  be  one/^  John  17  :17-21. 
Not  holiness,  but  the  lack  of  holiness,  is  the  source  of  di- 
vision. 

^^Be  ye  not  unequally  yoked  together  with,  unbelievers  ; 
for  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  unrighteous- 
ness? and  what  communion  hath,  light  with,  darkness? 
And  what  concord  hath,  Christ  with  Belial?  or  what  part 
hath  he  that  believeth  vdih  an  infidel?  .  .  .  Wherefore 
come  out  from  among  them  and  be  ye  separate,^^  2  Cor. 
6:14:17.  '^Ye  that  love  the  Lord  hate  eviV'  Ps.  97:10. 
At  peace  with  everybody  and  everything  that  is  pure;  but 
while  we  love  the  sinner  we  must  be  in  arms  and  an-ayed 
against  all  that  is  evil.    ^Tirst  pure  then  peaceable.^^ 


PERFECTION  AND  GROWTH. 

The  perfection  enjoined  by  scripture  and  possible  for 
all  Christians,  is  the  perfection  of  a  heart  cleansed  from  all 
sin  and  filled  with  purq  love — the  perfection  of  Jove. 

The  term,  perfection,  has  reference  to  qualit}^  rather 
than  quantity. 

We  have  met  those  who  objected  to  Christian  perfection 
on  the  groimds  that  if  one  were  perfect,  it  would  exclude 
the  possibility  of  growth  and  development  in  grace.  It  is 
urged  by  such,  that  if  one  were  perfect  there  could  be 
neither  necessity  nor  opportunity  for  growth.  Such  need 
only  be  reiliinded  that  Christian  perfection  refers  to  the 
quality  rather  than  the  quantity  of  love  in  the  heart.  All 


PEREFCTION  AND  GROWTH.  IO3 

Christians  have  love;  but  all  Christians  have  not  ^perfect 
love,  which  casteth  out  fear. 

What  perfect  health  is  to  the  body,  perfect  love  is  to  the 
soul.  Holiness  means  spiritual  wholeness,  or,  soul  health. 
Sin  is  a  malady,  a  disease,  and  is  always  an  abnormal  con- 
dition. 

Because  a  child  enjoys  perfect  health  is  no  reason  why 
it  may  not  continue  to  grow;  the  facts  are,  perfect  health 
is  the  condition  for  growth.  The  child  with  perfect  health 
will  grow  far  more  rapidly  and  symmetrically  than  will 
the  child  with  impaired  health. 

We  need  ever  bear  in  mind,  that  it  is  not  ^perfection  of 
action,  but  perfect  love,  which  has  respect  mainly  to 
hind  or  quality,  we  are  contending  for.  In  the  language 
of  the  Eev.  J.  A.  Wood,  in  "Purity  and  Maturity^^  we  in- 
sist :  "A  thing  may  be  said  to  be  perfect  when  it  possesses 
all  the  properties  or  qualities  which  are  essential  to  its 
nature.  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  perfect  when  it  exists 
in  the  soul  in  exclusion  of  every  opposing  principle,  every 
contrary  temper — perfect  in  quality.^^ 

As  already  intimated,  growth  in  grace  will  be  more  rapid 
when  the  heart  is  cleansed  from  all  sin  and  perfected  in 
love,  than  it  otherwise  could  be.  One  of  the  essentials  to 
growth  is  knowledge.  We  can  never  love  a  person  of  whom 
we  have  no  knowledge.  In  proportion  as  our  knowledge 
extends,  in  that  proportion  have  we  an  intellectual  basis 
for  the  action  of  love. 

"Accordingly,  every  new  manifestation  of  God^s 
character,  every  new  exhibition  of  His  attributes,  every  ad- 
ditional development  of  his  providences  will  furnish  new- 
occasions  for  love.    It  is  the  privilege,  therefore,  of  a 


104 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


person  perfected  in  love^  and  consequently  a  holy  person, 
to  increase  in  holiness  in  exact  proportion  with  his  in- 
crease in  knowledge/^  (Upham/^ 

When  a  heart  is  cleansed  from  all  sin  it  can  not  be 
made  any  more  pnre^  but  there  may  be  an  unceasing  in- 
crease of  pure  love  in  a  purified  heart.  There  can  be  no 
growing  into  perfect  love^,  since  growth  does  not  change 
the  quality  or  nature  of  any  thing,  but  there  may  be  un- 
stinted and  illimitable  growth  in  grace  when  love  is  per- 
fected in  the  heart. 


WHY  MEN  OPPOSE  HOLINESS. 

First, — Because  they  love  sin  and  are  not  willing  to  - 
give  it  u'p  and  turn  from  it.  When  a  man  is  done  with 
sin  he  wants  holiness.  There  is  nothing  else  to  want.  He 
who  does  not  believe  in  holiness  must  believe  in  sin.  We 
have  found  that  the  objections  to  holiness  are  more  fre- 
quently the  outcome  of  moral  conditions  than  of  mental 
difficulties.  Certainly,  the  moral  condition  gives  color  to 
the  eye.  ^^TJnto  the  pure  all  things  are  pure:  but  unto 
them  that  are  defiled  and  unbelieving  is  nothing  pure  ; 
but  even  their  mind  and  conscience  is  defiled.^^  A  man  with 
a  pure  heart  can  see  purity  everywhere,  while  a  man  with 
sin  in  his  heart  can  see  purity  nowhere.  Our  likes  and 
dislikes  are  controlled  largely  by  our  appetency — the  things 
we  long  for  and  desire ;  and  our  desires  are  determined  by 
the  condition  or  nature  ruling  within.  A  turkey  buzzard 
will  alight  upon  a  carcass,  because  such  is  the  nature  and 
desire  of  the  bird;  whereas,  a  humimng  bird  will  just  as 
Jiaturally  alight  in  a  flower  garden,  because  that  is  the 


WHY  MEN  OPPOSE  HOLINESS. 


105 


nature  and  desire  of  the  humming  bird.  The  more  wo 
are  partakers  of  the  divine  nature  the  more  intense  our 
love  and  desire  for  holiness. 

Second. — Men  oppose  holiness  because  of  their  ignorance 
concerning  the  Scriptures  and  the  power  of  God.  As 
Jesus  said  to  the  Pharisee:  ^^Ye  do  err^  not  knowing  the 
Scriptures^  nor  the  power  of  God.^^  Any  person  antagoniz- 
ing holiness  does  one  of  two  things :  either  he  publishes  his 
ignorance  or  his  infidelity  concerning  the  Bible.  The 
terms  ^^holy^^  and  ^^holiness^'  occur  more  than  six  hundred 
times  in  the  Bible  ^and  are  frequently  applied  to  human 
characters  under  the  operations  of  grace.  If  Jesus  Christ 
can  save  a  man  from  any  sin^  He  can  save  him  from  all 
sin.  Being  ignorant  concerning  the  real  Bible  teachings 
on  this  subject  of  holiness  accounts  for  much  of  the  preju- 
dice and  opposition  concerning  it.  The  facts  are,  the 
subject  of  holiness  is  so  Scriptural,  reasonable  and  logical 
that  no  one  can  antagonize  it  without  first  mis-stating  and 
misrepresenting  the  matter. 

Third. — In  the  last  analysis,  opposition  to  holiness  is 
due  to  the  ^^carnal  mind^  in  the  hearts  of  men,  which,  ^^is 
enmity  against  God;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  be.'^  This  ^^enmity^^  is  innate  and  in- 
born, and  is  not  only  at  enmity,  but  is  within  itself  the 
very  quintessence  of  ^^enmity  against  God.^^  In  another 
place  it  is  called,  ^^our  old  man.^^  In  opposing  holiness 
this  '^old  man''  is  actuated  by  the  devil,  and  is  simply 
fighting  for  his  own  life;  holiness  medns  death  to  the  ^^old 
man.''  The  ^^carnal  mind"  is  a  condition-^a  principle — 
within,  which  cannot  be  pardoned,  but  must  be  eradicated 
and  destroyed  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.    So  wherever  appo- 


io6 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


sition  to  the  blood  of  Jesus  manifests  itself,  that  very  op- 
position is  in  itself  the  strongest  evidence  of  the  lack  and 
need  of  holiness.  The  opposition  proves  that  the  principle 
of  enmity''  is  still  in  the  heart. 

He  who  does  not  want  holiness  wants  ^'unholiness/*  or 
sin^  no  matter  what  his  profession  or  pretentions  may  be, 
All  men  realize  the  fact  that  holiness  is  necessary  for  en- 
tering heaven — and  so^  theoretically,  all  men  want  holi- 
ness at  the  end  of  life;  but  to  desire  holiness  only  at  death, 
is  not  to  desire  it  at  all.  If  there  is  a  real  desire  for 
holiness,  it  must  be  in  the  present  tense;  and  if  holiness 
is  desired  in  the  present  tense,  why  should  there  be  any 
objection  to  a  present  tense  experience  of  holiness? 

How  any  person  can  profess  to  love  God,  who  is  the 
very  essence  and  embodiment  of  holiness,  and  yet  be  an-' 
tagonistic  to  holiness,  is  indeed  a  mystery.  Or.  how  a  man 
can  believe  God  is  holy,  and  not  want  to  be  like  Him,  is 
difficult  to  understand.  Every  man  that  hath  this  hope 
in  him  (the  hope  of  seeing  Jesus  as  He  is)  purifieth  him- 
self, even  as  He  is  pure,'^  I  Jno.,  3:3. 

Many  will  admit  of  a  relative  holiness,  but  deny  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  positive  holiness.  To  strive  to  be  holier  than 
in  former  days,  does  not  seem  objectionable,  but  to  insist 
on  being  positively  cleansed  from  all  sin  seems  to  them  a 
very  dangerous  heresy.  But  to  deny  the  possibility  of  being 
thus  cleansed  is  to  doubt  the  efficacy  of  the  blood  of  Christ 
and  deny  the  Scripture.  A  heart  in  which  there  remains 
any  sin  surely  is  not  holy.  The  holiness  comananded,  and 
enjoined  upon  us,  is:  ''AS  He  which  hath  called  you  is 
holy,  SO  be  ye  holy.''  ''As''— 'So/'  would  seem  to  indicate 
that  the  heart  is  to  be  positively  clean.    To  demand  a 


WHY  MEN  OPPOSE  HOLINESS. 


107 


holy  life,  and  yet  deny  me  the  privilege  of  a  holy  heart 
is  demanding  the  impossible.  ^Thou  blind  Pharisee 
cleanse  fii'st  that  which  is  within  the  cup  and  platter,  that 
the  outside  of  them  may  be  clean  also/^ 

By  holiness  is  meant,  a  heart  cleansed  from  all  sin,  and 
filled  with  pure  love,  so  as  to  love  God  with  all  the  heart 
and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves.  There  is  surely  nothing 
objectionable  about  an  experience  like  that.  A  holy  God 
inspired  holy  men  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  write  a  holy 
Bible  to  tell  us  that  Christ  died  to  make  us 
holy,  and  that  we  miust  be  holy  in  order  to  enter  a  holy 
heaven  and  associate  with  holy  angels  and  dwelll  with  a 
holy  God. 


io8 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


DEFINITENESS. 

The  importance  of  being  specific  and  definite  can 
scarcely  be  exaggerated.  A  preacher  may  preach  on  re- 
pentance or  the  new  birth  in  an  indefinite  way  for  a  whole 
year^  and  no  one  will  be  awaJvcned  or  converted.  In  like 
manner  he  may  preach  about  sanctification  and  holiness 
in  an  indefinite  way,  and  no  one  will  be  offended  and  no 
one  will  seek  and  obtain  the  experience.  This  is  the  diffi- 
culty with  much  of  the  preaching  of  these  days;  it  is  all 
of  the  sheet-lightning  sort,  and  strikes  nowhere.  God^s 
truth  will  not  return  void,  and  if  preached  explicitly, 
specifically,  and  definitely  will  invariably  precipitate  a 
revival  along  the  lines  of  truth  thus  emphasized.  A 
preacher  who  aims  at  nothing  definite,  and  deals  simply  in 
glittering  generalities  should  not  be  disappointed  if  his 
ministry  is  unfruitful.  Much  of  the  preaching  of  these 
days  reminds  one  of  the  dudish  preacher,  who  had  some 
convictions  of  truth,  but  feared  that  by  being  too  definite 
and  specific  he  might  offend  his  congregatioii,  and  hence 
endeavored  to  round  the  corners  by  saying,  ^^You  are  all 
sinners,— so  to  speah;  unless  you  repent- — to  a  certain  eX" 
tent;  and  be  converted — to  a  certain  degree,  you  will  all 
be  damned— a  certain  measure/'  Of  course  no  one  is 
offended  and  no  one  is  helped. 

Holiness  will  not  win  and  prosper  where  men  generalize 
either  in  sermon  or  testimony.  Presumably  all  preachers 
think  they  are  lifting  up  the  standard  of  holiness, — and 
indeed  many  of  them  do  preach  some  good  doctrine — but 
neutralize  it  all  by  apologizing  and  generalizing  before 
they  finish,  and  no  one  gets  the  experience.  Of  course  it  is 
diffiicult  to  preach  an  experience  and  lead  others  into  an 


DEFINITENESS. 


109 


experience  that  one  does  not  himself  enjoy.  We  venture 
the  assertion  that  any  preacher  who  is  called  of  God, 
who  will  himself  seek  and  obtain  the  experience  of  sancti- 
fication,  and  will  then  explicitly  and  definitely  preach  it, 
and  bear  definite  testimony,  can  have  a  revival  almost  any 
time  and  anywhere.  'WTien  not  willing  to  do  this,  he 
must  content  himself  with  failure,  so  far  as  soul  saving  is 
concerned,  and  let  himself  down  easy  by  saying,  "the 
people  are  Gospel-hardened,^^  or,  "conditions  and  circum- 
stances were  unfavorable.^^  As  Mr.  Wesley  observed,  con- 
cerning the  failure  of  certain  Methodist  preachers  on 
Launceston  Circuit,  "either  they  did  not  speak  of  per- 
fection at  all  (the  peculiar  doctrine  committed  to  our 
trust)  or  they  speak  of  it  only  in  general  terms,  without 
urging  the  believers  to  go  on  unto  perfection,  and  to  ex- 
pect it  every  moment.  And  wherever  this  is  not  done  the 
work  of  God  does  not  prosper."    (Vol.  4,  p.  459.) 

This  same  principle  obtains  in  seeking  God.  A  person 
may  pray  for  pardon  in  an  indefinite,  round-about  way 
for  forty  j^ears  and  never  get  it;  but  finally  he  becomes  des- 
perate and  strikes  out  across  lots,  definitely  asking  God 
to  forgive  his  sins,  and  is  soon  the  glad  recipient  of  the 
grace  he  sought.  In  like  manner  a  Christian  may  pray 
in  a  vague  indefinite  manner,  ^'create  within  me  a  clean 
heart,'^  "give  me  more  religion,"  etc.,  etc.,  and  never  get 
it.  Finally  in  the  desperation  of  his  soul,  he  cries  out 
definitely,  "sanctify  me  wholly,"  ^'take  inbred  sin  out  of  my 
heart,'^  "deliver  me  from  the  carnality  of  my  heart,"  etc., 
and  soon  obtains  the  blessed  experience  of  entire  sancti- 
fication.  Whenever  a  soul  is  definite  with  God,  God  will 
be  pleased  to  be  definite  with  that  soul. 


no 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


Jesus  taught  us  this  when  He  said^  "if  a  son  shall  ask 
bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  be  give  him  a 
stone?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a 
serpent?  or  if  he  ask  for  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a 
scorpion?'^  The  thought  is  that  we  should  ask  definitely 
for  what  we  want,  and  then  expect  to  receive  exactly  what 
we  have  asked  for.  Be  definite  in  preaching,  in  prayer, 
and  in  testimony  and  a  definite  work  will  be  accomplished. 

Amen. 


CONSECRATION  AND  SANCTIFICATION. 

Consecration  is  not  entire  sanctification.  Consecration 
is  a  human  act,  whereas  sanctification  is  a  divine  act. 
Consecration  is  what  you  must  do  in  order  that  God  may 
sanctify  you  wholly. 

Many  have  confounded  consecration  with  surrender, 
and  so  insisted  that  they  consecrated  all  and  were  wholly 
sanctified  when  converted.  This  is  unscriptural  and  un- 
reasonable. We  ever  need  to  rememjber  that  our  attitude 
toward  God,  as  sinners,  was  that  of  a  rebel — rebelling 
against  the  government  of  heaven;  and  as  rebels  we  could 
simply  surrender,  and  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
heaven^s  king.  This  surrender  was  made  because  of  the 
fear  of  the  results  and  penalties  of  sin,  and  because  Jesus 
had  conquered  us.  With  many  of  us  conviction  for  sin 
became  so  intense  we  were  literally  compelled  to  surrender 
or  consent  to  be  damned.  Not  so  in  consecration.  Conse- 
cration is  rather  the  glad,  free-will  offering  of  our  all, 
including  ourselves,  to  Jesus  because  of  the  love  in  our 
hearts  for  Him ;  the  constraint  of  love. 


CONSECRATION  AND  SANCTIFICATION.  Ill 

The  penitent  sinner  surrenders  that  which  is  evil  in  order 
that  Jesus  may  receive  and  forgive  him;  the  child  of  God 
consecrates  himself  and  his  all  that  is  good  in  order  that 
God  may  purify  and  use  him. 

Nowhere  in  scripture  is  a  sinner  exhorted  to  consecrate ; 
nor  has  he  anything  to  consecrate.  But  in  vmting  to 
Christians^  the  Apostle  says,  ^^I  beseech  you,  therefore, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which 
is  your  reasonable  service/^  As  sinners  we  were  ^^dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins,^^  and  therefore  could  mot  present 
ourselves  '^a  living  sacrifice"  until  after  we  were  ^^quick- 
ened^^  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  exhortation  is  to  the 
"brethren/^  Why  should  they  be  urged  to  thus  present 
themselves  if  they  had  already  done  so,  at  the  time  of  their 
conversion?  Not  the  judgments  of  God,  and  the  wrath  to 
come,  but  the  mercies  of  God'^  are  urged  as  the  reason 
for  this  consecration.  If  this  offering  of  ourselves  to  Grod 
is  but  *^our  reasonable  service^^  then  anything  short  of 
this  must  be  unreasonable. 

We  have  no  sympathy  with  modem  consecration  meet- 
ings which  call  every  two  weeks  for  the  re-consecration  of 
ourselves  to  God.  We  might  as  consistently  urge  that 
people  should  be  re-married  every  two  weeks.  Consecra- 
tion means  the  solemn  devotement  and  deeding  over  to 
God  ourselves  and  all  that  pertains  to  us — all  we  know 
and  all  we  don^t  know — for  time  and  eternity.  Where  such 
an  agreement  is  once  entered  upon,  there  remains  nothing 
to  consecrate,  and  certainly  nothing  to  reconsecrate^  while 
time  lasts.  After  all  is  given  to  God  it  no  longer  belongs 
to  us.     The  term  re-consecrate  would  indicate  that  we 


112 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


had  taken  something  back;  such  an  act  would  be  stealing, 
and  would  require  repentance.  After  a  consecration  is 
made,  which  comprehends  all,  for  time  and  eternity,  it 
may  nevertheless  be  a  pleasure  at  times  to  walk  about  the 
altar  and  look  up  into  the  face  of  Jesus  and  tell  Him 
you  mean  it  more  than  ever,  and  so  intensify  your  con- 
secration. 

As  in  the  case  of  Abraham  and  Elijah,  when  the  sacri- 
fice is  complete  upon  the  altar  of  God,  the  fire  will  fall. 
There  is  no  occasion  to  sing, 

^'I'm  waiting  for  the  fire/^ 

The  faithfulness  of  God  and  the  present  tense  of  every 
promise  is  the  guarantee  of  a  present  tense  work.  Let 
there  be  definiteness  in  the  consecration — consecration  for 
the  purpose  of  being  made  holy — and  we  will  still  find 
that,  ^^Whatsoever  toucheth  the  altar  shall  be  holy.^^ 
Consecrate  not  to  a  work,  or  caus-e,  but  to  God,  and  then 
trust  Him  to  sanctify  you  wholly. 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  PERSONALITY. 

Sanetification  does  not  destroy  our  individuality  or 
peculiar  traits  of  personality.  It  simply  destroys  inbred 
sin  out  of  the  heart.  The  facts  are,  that  by  delivering  the 
soul  from  the  bondage  of  fear  touching  the  opinions  and 
criticisms  of  men,  and  from  the  grave-clothes  of  carnality, 
it  bounds  into  liberty,  and  hence  more  fully  asserts  and 
manifests  the  real  personality  of  the  individual.  Saneti- 
fication brings  people  down  from  their  stilts,  and  putting 
on  of  airs  and  takes  away  all  the  strut  and  swagger  and 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  PERSONALITY. 


makes  them  act  natural.  It  gives  to  men  a  sort  of  super- 
natural naturalness. 

Much  of  the  ordinary  religious  exercises  are  wholly  un- 
natural, because  of  the  unnatural  tones  of  the  voice,  the 
strained  attitudes,  affectations,  and  the  fear  that  some  one 
might  criticise,  and  the  desire  to  make  a  favorable  impres- 
sion. There  are  those  who  can  speak  fluently  on  almost 
any  subject,  but  when  they  come  to  speak  in  a  religious 
service  they  can  only  repeat  some  little  stereotyped  state- 
ment ;  others,  who  are  naturally  demonstrative,  rather  than 
be  regarded  as  enthusiasts,  will  quench  and  grieve  the 
Spirit,  by  poking  a  handkerchief  into  the  mouth,  etc.,  all 
of  which  is  unnatural. 

One  of  the  beauties  of  sanctification  is  that  it  makes 
people  ^^free  indeed,^'  and  without  having  their  thoughts 
fixed  upon  themselves  they  are  simply  passiv-e  and  pliable 
in  the  hands  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

While  we  believe  that  '^the  spirits  of  the  prophets  are 
subject  to  the  prophets,'^  (I  Cor.  14:32),  and  there- 
fore may  not  plead  for  demonstrations  which  would  do 
injury  either  to  the  bodies  of  men,  or  destroying  furni- 
ture, etc.,  indulging  in  all  sorts  of  antics  and  con- 
tortions, yet  we  must  accord  to  men  the  utm'ost  liberty 
in  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  manifest,  according  to  their  own 
personality,  the  Spirit  and  power  of  God  in  their  own 
hearts. 

God  evidently  loves  variety  in  nature  and  so,  doubtless, 
does  in  the  kingdom  of  grace.  He  certainly  does  not  want 
His  children  to  ape  and  mimic  each  other.  Some  one 
has  said,  there  are  many  kinds  of  ^^tators,^^  but  the  worst 
kind  of  ^'tators^^  are  the  imi-tators.   We  have  seen  where 


114 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


a  churchy  or^  indeed,  an  entire  denomination  took  on  cer- 
tain tones  of  voice  and  forms  of  expression,  imitating 
certain  whines,  and  shouts,  until'  you  could  tell  the  instant 
3'ou  heard  them  speak,  just  what  creed  they  had  subscribed 
to.  The  whole  thing  was  unnatural,  unscriptural,  and 
without  excuse. 

God  has  given  to  every  man  a  distinct  personality,  and 
those  distinguishing  marks  of  personality  may  be  branded 
by  others  as  eccentricities,  oddities  and  singularities,  but 
under  the  sanctifying  power  and  blessing  of  God  may 
become  a  source  of  strength  and  gloriously  effective  for 
God. 

To  be  just  as  natural  and  free  in  a  religious  service  as 
one  would  be  anywhere  else,  is  surely  the  privilege  of 
every  Christian.  If  God  had  wanted  us  to  be  like  some 
one  else.  He  would  undoubtedly  have  made  us  so.  He 
never  intended  that  the  layman  should  imitate  the  class- 
leader;  and  the  class-leader  the  local  preacher,  and  the 
local  preacher  imitate  the  pastor;  and  the  pastor  imitate 
the  presiding  elder;  and  the  presiding  elder  imitate  the 
bishop  or  college  president,  etc.  If  He  has  called  you  to 
a  certain  work  it  is  evident  the  Lord  needed  and  wanted 
a  person  just  like  you,  hence  has  chosen  you.  So  let  Him 
sanctify  you  and  enable  you  to  be  perfectly  natural — to 
be  real  to  yourself — ^in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Amen. 


HOLINESS  ESSENTIAL  TO  REVIVALS. 


"5 


WHY  THE  PREACHING  OF  HOLINESS  IS  ES- 
SENTIAL TO  REVIVALS. 

First:  The  preaching  of  holiness  is  essential  because 
holiness  is  the  divine  standard  which  God  would  have  us 
lift  up.  He  who  does  not  believe  in  holiness  must  believe 
in  sin.  To  deny  the  possibility  of  holiness  in  this  life  is 
equivalent  to  saying  Jesus  can  not  save  from  all 
sin.  Men  must  understand  that  in  order  to  be  saved 
at  all  they  must  abandon  and  forsake  all  sin.  Even  sin- 
ners recognize  that  a  ^'^sinning  religion^^  does  not  com- 
mend itself^  and  admit  that  holiness  is  the  true  standard. 
They  naturally  and  most  truthfully  reason  concerning 
professors  of  religion  who  insist  they  cannot  live  without 
sin,  that  they  are  just  as  good  as  those  professors,  since 
they  are  both  living  the  same  way. 

Second.  The  definite  preaching  of  holiness  is  always 
strengthening  and  stimulating  to  those  who  are  Christians, 
as  it  edifies  them,  and  brings  them^  to  see  their  need  and 
privileges,  and  so  stirs  them  up  to  more  diligent  heart- 
searchings  and  consequent  calling  upon  God.  Thus  the 
revival  begins  where  a  true  revival  must  always  begin. 
Whenever  the  children  of  God  get  out  into  the  tides  of 
full  salvation,  and  hence  have  the  joys  of  salvation,  and 
are  free  and  impelled  to  service  by  the  fullness  of  the 
Spirit,  sinners  invariably  come  undjer  conviction^i,  and 
begin  to  seek  God.  Jesus  said,  in  speaking  of  His  dis- 
ciples, concerning  the  Holy  Spirit,  ^^And  when  he  is  come 
(to  you  who  are  Christians)  He  will  reprove  the  world  of 
sin  and  of  righteousness.^^  Generally  speaking.  Christians 
lack  the  fullness  of  the  Spirit  and  consequently  there  is  no 
conviction.   The  Holy  Spirit  does  the  work  of  conviciton 


Ii6 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


niiost  generally  through  the  overflow  of  Christian  hearts- 
Third.  The  preaching  of  holiness  is  essential  that  by 
contrast  sinners  miay  see  their  distance  from  God.  A  man 
may  never  realize  his  poverty  until  he  stands  by  the  side 
of  some  multi-millionaire;  or  how  ignorant  he  is,  until 
he  comes  in  contact  with  those  who  are  far  advanced  along 
intellectual  lines,  and  are  greatly  his  superiors;  just  so 
a  man  may  never  realize  how  sinful  he  is  until  he  has  a 
glimpse  of  God's  holiness.  It  was  when  Isaiah  had  a 
vision  of  the  holiness  of  God  that  he  began  to  cry  out, 
^'I  am  undone.'*  So  in  magnifying  the  holiness  of  God 
men  will  come  to  more  fully  realize  the  necessity  of  being 
holy  if  they  would  dwell  with  a  holy  God.  If  God  is  holy, 
I  must  be  holy. 

Fourth.  Then,  again,  the  definite  preaching  of  aoli- 
ness  at  once  clearly  draws  the  lines  of  battk,  for  there  is 
nothing  that  the  devil  so  much  hates,  and  God  so  much 
delights  to  bless,  as  the  definite  preaching  of  holiness. 
The  preaching  of  holiness  causes  agitation,  and  when  men 
become  aroused  and  agitated  they  will  give  attention  and 
begin  to  think,  and  when  they  begin  to  think,  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  special  opportunity.  Where  there  is  no  agita- 
tion there  is  invariably  stagnation.  As  intimated,  God 
will  always  bless  the  uncompromising  preaching  of  holi- 
ness. But  some  one  will  inquire,  would  you  preach  holi- 
ness to  sinners?  I  would  answer,  ^^yes,''  and  then  teach 
them  that  in  order  to  reach  holiness  they  must  first  re- 
pent and  be  born  again.  When  God  sent  Moses  into 
Egypt  He  did  not  tell  himi  to  preach  to  them  about,  or 
start  them  for  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  but  started  them  at 
once  for  Canaan,  though  it  required  two  crossings  to  reach 
Canaan. 


HOLINESS  ESSENTIAL  TO  REVIVALS. 


117 


The  objective  point  of  all  the  provisions  of  the  atone- 
ment;,  and  of  every  commandment  and  promise  in  the 
Bible,  is  holiness.  He  ^^hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual 
blessings  in  heavenly  things  (marg.)  in  Christ  accord- 
ing as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy  and  without  blame  be- 
fore him  in  love.'^  Eph.  1 :3,  4.  ^^HolinesS;  without  which 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord/'   Heb.  12 :14. 


ii8 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


SOME  QUESTIONS  ANSWERED. 

First.  If  perfect,  how  could  there  be  any  more  growth 
in  grace?" 

This  is  a  question  often  asked  whenever  the  doctrine  of 
Christian  perfection  is  proclaimed.  It  need  be  remembered 
that  Christian  perfection  has  reference  to  quality  rather 
than  quantity.  What  perfect  health  would  be  to  the  body, 
perfect  love^  heart  purity,  sanctification  and  holiness  is 
to  the  soul.  Sin  is  a  disease.  Holiness  which  is  the  con- 
dition or  state  in  which  love  is  perfected,  implying  per- 
fect soul  health,  is  recovery  from  the  malady  or  disease  of 
sin. 

A  child  may  enjoy  just  as  perfect  health  and  be  just  as 
perfect  as  a  child  as  an  adult  enjoys  perfect  health,  and  is 
perfect  as  an  adult  And  the  fact  that  the  child  enjoys 
perfect  health — freedom  from  all  disease — is  no  reason  why 
it  may  not  continue  to  grow  until  it  reaches  manhood  or 
womanhood.  Indeed  perfect  health  is  the  condition  for 
rapid  and  s^i^i metrical  development  and  growth.  Every 
one  knows  that  a  child  in  perfect  health  grows  more 
rapidly  than  a  child  that  is  sickly  and  diseased.  Certain 
it  i5  when  a  heart  is  cleansed  from  all  sin  and  filled  with 
pure  and  perfect  love,  it  cannot  be  made  any  more  pure, 
but  it  may  enlarge  and  obtain  more  perfect  love  and  then 
it  may  go  on  and  enlarge  some  more  and  obtain  some  more 
perfect  love;  and  then  it  may  enlarge  some  more  and  go 
on  and  obtain  some  more  perfect  love  and  thus  it  m.ay 
continue  ad  infinitum.    Amen  and  amen! 

Second,  If  the  carnal  nature  were  all  destroyed  and  the 
heart  made  perfectly  pure  and  holy,  cleansed  from  all  iq- 
bied  sin,  how  could  a  person  sin  again? 


SOME  QUESTIONS  ANSWERED. 


119 


This  question  is  frequently  asked  with  great  seriousness, 
as  though  indeed  it  would  be  a  great  calamity  should  one 
become  so  thoroughly  saved  he  could  not  sin  any  more. 
When  one  talks  thus  it  looks  a  little  suspicious  or  at  least 
awakens  the  suspicion  that  such  an  one  is  not  quite  done 
with  sin^,  and  so  desires  license  or  liberty  to  indulge  in 
sin  occasionally.  Thank  God  there  are  some  people  who  are 
forever  done  with  sin,  and  have  gone  entirely  out  of  the 
sin  business.  They  would  still  believe  in  holiness  even  if 
they  knev;  that  would  fix  them  so  they  could  never  sin 
again.  They  would  be  perfectly  ready  to  say,  ^"^Good  Lord 
if  it  is  possible  to  fix  me  so  I  can  never  sin  again,  fix  me 
quickly.^^  It  certainly  would  be  no  very  great  misfortune 
to  be  thus  ^*^fixed.^^ 

But  the  question  may  be  answered  by  asking  another 
question:  ^^How  could  Adam  and  Eve,  who  were  created 
^in  the  image  of  God^  and  so  had  no  sin-ward  bent,  but 
were  in  the  *^likeness'  of  God — ^how  could  they  commit  sin?^' 
or  ^^How  could  angels,  who  surely  have  no  inbred  sin,  but 
are  pure  and  holy,  commit  sin?^^  Surely  not  because  there 
were  roots  of  sin,  or  sinward  tendencies  in  their  hearts. 
Free  agency  carries  with  it  the  power  of  choice.  Sin 
is  presented  from  without  and  in  the  exercise  of  his  free 
agency  a  man  can  choose  good  or  evil.  ^^But  why  should  he 
choose  the  evil  if  there  is  no  appetite  for  sin  in  his  heart 
It  is  well  to  remember  that  Satan  does  not  present  sin  as 
sin,  but  rather  as  something  ^^to  be  desired  to  make  one 
wise^^  etc,  and  says,  even  though  you  do  partake,  ^^ye  shall 
not  surely  die.^^  Temptation  appeals  to  the  will,  and  when 
the  wdll  yields  and  consents  to  the  temptation,  sin  enters. 
Holiness  does  not  deprive  one  of  thg  use  of  his  volition^ 


120 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


if  it  did  man  would  simply  be  a  machine.  The  right  atti- 
tude of  the  will  in  an  eternal  "yes"  to  God — ^is  essential  to 
the  maintenance  of  holiness  of  heart. 

Third,  "If^  the  ^old  man  is  crucified/  and  all  inbred  ein 
is  cleansed  out  of  the  hearty  how  can  the  'old  man^  again 
revive^,  or  sin  enter  the  heart?" 

This  question^  too,,  may  be  answered  by  asking  another 
question :  "how  did  it  first  enter  into  Adam  and  Eve  ?"  It 
doubtless  would  enter  into  our  hearts  in  the  same  way.  As 
intimated  in  the  answer  to  the  question  above^  the  will  is 
the  gateway  to  the  city  of  man-soul.  Sin  is  not  a  material 
substance  in  the  heart,  though  it  is  a  very  definite  real- 
ity. Sin  is  often  the  mis-use  and  perversion  of  that  which 
is  God-given  and  so  is  perfectly  right  and  legitimate  with- 
in itself.  When  the  human  will  unites  and  agrees  with 
the  suggestion  and  will  of  Satan,  sin  is  conceived,  and 
there  is  instantly  a  sinful  state  and  condition,  even  though 
there  has  been  no  overt  act  of  sin.  One  might  as  well 
ask  how  disease  could  enter  a  perfectly  healthy  body;  the 
answer  would  be,  by  the  perversion  of  some  law  of  nature. 
As  with  a  healthy  body,  so  with  a  healthy  or  holy  soul ;  with 
this  difference,  that  sickness  and  disease  may  come  into  the 
body  without  the  consent  of  the  will.  As  a  diseased  con- 
dition of  the  body  gives  a  predisposition  and  therefore  a 
greater  liability  to  other  attacks  of  disease;  so  where  sin 
is  in  the  heart  there  is  a  greater  susceptibility  and  danger 
to  sin.  Perfect  soul-health  is  the  safest  and  best  condition 
for  resisting  and  overcoming  the  disease  without. 


THE  WILL  OF  GOD. 


121 


THE  WILL  OF  GOD. 

To  the  obedient  child  the  will  of  the  parent  is  law,  and 
to  the  truly  consecrated  child  of  God  the  will  of  God — 
either  as  revealed  in  His  Word  or  by  His  Spirit — is  the 
rule  for  life  and  practice.  Just  in  proportion  as  the 
human  will  embraces  the  will  of  God  just  in  that  propor- 
tion can  the  individual  know  true  rest  of  soul,  and  fellow- 
ship with  God.  And  our  surrender  and  obedience  to  the 
will  of  God  is  the  measure  of  our  love  to  God  and  faith  in 
God.  It  is  folly  for  a  man  to  profess  that  he  loves  God, 
and  yet  be  in  rebellion  against  the  revealed  will  of  God. 
Jesus  taught,  ''If  a  man  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  words.^^ 
'^He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he 
it  is  that  loveth  me.^^  The  commandments  of  God  are 
simply  the  revealed  and  expressed  will  of  God.  No  man 
can  be  a  Christian  and  be  indifferent  concerning  the  will 
of  God. 

^^If  any,  man  will  do  his  will  he  shall  know  of  the 
doctrine.^^  So  we  see  it  is  not  mental  difficulties  but  heart 
difficulties —  an  unwillingness  to  do  the  will  of  God— that 
hinders  one  from  experiencing  and  understanding  "the 
doctrine^^  expressing  the  will  of  God.  "This  is  the  will 
of  God,  even  your  sanctification.^'  Many  regard  the 
doctrine  of  sanctification  as  though  it  were  simply  the 
dogma  of  some  church  or  the  theory  of  some  zealots  and 
religious  enthusiasts;  but  the  Bible  says  plainly  ''this  is 
the  loill  ofGod—EYEN  your— SANCTIFICATION.^'  (1 
Thess.  4:3.)  If  sanctification  is  the  will  of  God  concern- 
ing us,  then  we  should  never  be  content  until  we  know 
definitely  and  positively  that  the  will  of  God,  even  our 
sanctification,  is  accomplished  in  us.    Sanctification  be- 


122 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


ing  the  will  of  God  concerning  us,  no  one  is  what  God 
wills  and  desires  him  to  be  until  sanctified. 

Not  only  is  sanctification  the  will  of  God^  but  we  read, 
(Eph.  5:25-27)  ''Christ  also  loved  the  Church,  and  gave 
Himself  for  it,  that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it/^ 
^'WTierefore  Jesus  also,  that  He  might  sanctify  the  people 
with  His  own  blood,  suffered  without  the  gate.'^  From 
these  passages  we  learn,  first,  that  Jesus  died  in  order  to 
make  our  sanctification  a  possibility,  thus  enabliing  us 
to  have  the  will  of  God  accomplished  in  us.  Second,  we 
learn  that  sanctification  is  for  ''the  Church/^  which  is 
made  up  of  God^s  children — only  true  believers;  that 
sanctification  is  a  second  experience,  be|ing  foi'  ithose 
who  already  have  been  converted,  and  so  constitute  "the 
Church/^  Third,  we  learn  that  sanctification  is  a  divine 
act — something  that  Jesus  must  do  in  us — and  there- 
fore cannot  be  attained  by  growth,  or  death,  or  religious 
activities,  or  purgatory,  but  that  Jesus  does  the  work 
of  sanctifying,  "with  His  own  blood/'  We  can  never 
grow  into  something  He  must  do  for  us.  '^Sanctified  ly 
iaitnr    (Acts  26  :18.) 

To  resist  and  reject  "the  will  of  God^^  is  disobedience, 
and  disobedience  is  sin,  and  sin  brings  guilt  and  con- 
demnation and  spiritual  death.  Hence,  the  person  that 
refuses  or  neglects  sanctification,  because  of  his  disobedi- 
ence, is  in  danger  of  losing  his  soul.  True  happiness 
can  only  be  known  to  those  who  abide  in  the  center  of 
God^s  will. 


ALONE  WITH  JESUS. 


123 


ALONE  WITH  JESUS. 

^^And  when  they  were  alone;,  He  expounded  all  things 
to  His  disciples/' — Mark  4:34. 

The  disciple  who  would  have  the  explanation,  inter- 
pretation and  unfolding  of  the  scriptures  must  tarry 
alone  with  Jesus.  Secrets  are  not  divulged  while  surround- 
ed by  the  multitudes,  and  while  busily  engaged  and 
pre-occupied.  If  you  would  confide  in  a  friend  and 
really  open  up  your  heart  you  wait  until  such  a  time  as 
your  friend  is  disengaged  and  can  take  time  to  come 
apart  and  be  alone  with  you.  So  they  who  would  know 
the  secret  and  hidden  things  of  God  and  have  Him  ^^ex- 
pound  all  things/'  must  find  time  and  opportunity  to  be 
alone  with  Him. 

Such  is  the  philosophy  of  love;  while  there  may  be 
the  throbbing  heart,  and  some  expressions  of  affection  in 
the  presence  of  the  multitudes,  the  hour  of  true  bliss  is 
that  when  the  doors  are  closed,  the  curtains  drawn,  or, 
in  the  secluded  nook  or  corner,  the  lovers  are  left  alone. 
It  is  there  that  love  finds  her  opportunity  for  expression, 
and  the  confiding  heart  gives  forth  its  secrets.  The  in- 
tensity of  love  demands  the  secret  interview  and  longs 
for  an  opportunity  of  being  alone  with  the  object  of  its 
Ic^ve. 

We  read  of  ^^the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High''  (Ps. 
91:1),  and  ^'the  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear 
Him'^  (Ps.  25:14).  So  we  can  see  plainly  the  Lord  has 
secrets  and  a  secret  place  for  His  children.  How  beautiful 
it  is  to  feel  and  know  that  one  is  permitted  to  come  into 
*^the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High.'^  Visitors  and 
strangers  come  into  reception  halls  and  parlors^  but  onljr^ 


124 


ENTIRE  SAKfiTIFICATION. 


they  who  are  in  most  intimate  relations — known  to  be 
tried  and  true — can  come  into  the  secret  place  ;  and  what 
is  the  meaning  of  a  secret  place,  but  the  shutting  out  of 
all  that  might  intrude  or  detract;  to  be  left  alone  with 
the  object  of  its  love?  Again  we  sav,  tlie  deepest  ex- 
pressions of  mutual  affection,  confidence  and  pleasure  are 
not  in  public  assemblies,  in  hurried  greetings  and  mere 
social  relations,  but  in  the  '^secret  place/'  alone  and  un- 
observed. It  is  then,  and  then  onlv,  that  the  most  sacred 
things  are  mentioned  and  deepest  secrets  confided.  It  is 
exactly  so  in  our  relations  to  Jesus.  Men  and  women 
who  fail  to  take  time  to  be  much  "alone*'  in  the  ^'secret 
place''  with  Jesus,  are  never  deeply  spiritual  and  are  com- 
pelled to  get  their  news  concerning  the  kingdom  second- 
handed.  They  know  simply  what  the  preacher  or  some 
one  else  tells  them;  hence^  they  are  ever  runnmg  after 
men — the  newest  preacher  and  the  latest  evangelist — 
to  get  some  more  news,  second-handed,  concerning  the 
King's  business.  But  they  who  have  learned  the  secret  of 
being  much  alone  with  Him  in  the  secret  place,  get  the 
secrets  of  the  Lord  directly  from  the  King  himself,  and 
so  are  not  dependent  on  the  newspapers  for  the  latest 
news.  It  is  a  wonderful  thing  that  Jesus  should  take 
us  into  His  confidence,  and  tell  us  the  very  secrets  of  His 
own  loving  heart.  Kot  to  the  multitude,  but  to  those 
who  tarried  alone  with  Him,  did  ^*He  ex|30und  all  tliings.^^ 
^0  amount  of  religious  activities  or  service  can  make 
up  for  the  lack  of  secret  communion  and  fellowsliip  with 
God.  Joseph  and  Mar}'  had  been  engaged  in  the  worship 
and  service  of  the  Temple  when  they  lost  Jesus,  and 
traveled  a  whole  day's  journey  ^'supposing  Him  to  have 


ALONE  WITH  JESUS. 


125 


been  in  the  coinpany^^  before  they  discovered  they  had 
lost  Him.  One  may  become  so  absorbed  with  religious 
work  and  duties — so  hurried  and  pre-occupied — that  there 
is  no  timie  for  secret  prayer,  and  being  alone  with  Him 
and  the  Word,  and  become  lean  in  soul  and  backslide 
while  thus  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  Temple. 


TRIALS. 

The  way  we  act  under  trial  shows  what  we  are. 

Trials  and  temptations  are  tO'  Christians  what  the 
weights  on  the  old  fashioned  clocks  were — kept  them  going. 

Trials  and  temptations  prove  the  measure  of  our 
moral  strength.  No  man  is  stronger  than  his  weakest 
pointy  even  as  a  chain  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest 
link. 

As  the  eagle  teaches  her  young  to  fly  by  tearing  up  the 
nest,  and  tossing  the  little  birdlings  into  the  air,  thus  com- 
pelling them  to  strike  out  their  little  spurs  of  wings,  even 
so  God  teaches  us  the  life  of  faith  by  way  of  persecution, 
adversity  and  trial. 

As  the  damming  up  of  the  stream  is  the  secret  of  in- 
creased force  and  power,  so  the  trial  of  faith,  means  in- 
creased power  and  usefulness  by  giving  a  stronger  grip 
on  God  in  the  development  of  our  graces. 
.  As  the  ancient  Parthians  believed  that  the  strength  of 
every  foe  they  conquered  entered  into  their  own  bodies, 
so  we  may  gather  from  every  temptation  added  strength 
and  power.  ''Each  victory  will  help  us  another  to  win.^' 
The  time  when  God  proves  us  is  the  challenge  for  us  to 


126 


ENTIRE  SANCTIFICATION. 


prove  Him.  We  need  to  remember  that  God  has  placed  a 
^Tiedge'^  about  His  people^  as  Satan  himself  had  to  con- 
fess in  the  case  of  Job,  (1 :10)  and  Satan  can  not  touch  ns 
until  he  has  permission  from  God.  So  instead  of  cen- 
suring men,  or  even  going  on  a  tirade  against  Satan,  we 
should  accept  all  the  trials  of  life,  which  are  beyond  our 
control,  as  in  the  permissive  providence  of  God.  Nothing 
can  touch  His  child  until  it  has  first  passed  through  the 
Father's  hands  for  inspection. 

^^From  vintages  of  sorrow  are  deepest  joys  distilled ; 
And  the  cup  outstretched  for  healing  is  oft  at  Marah  filled. 
God  leads  to  joy  through  weeping,  to  quietness  through 
strife ; 

Through  yielding  into  conquest;  through  death  to  endless 
life. 

Be  still.  He  hath  enrolled  thee,  for  the  kingdom  and  the 
crown. 

Be  silent;  let  Him  mould  theO;  who  calleth  thee  His  own.^^ 


BIBLE  READINGS. 


CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

Required.  Provided. 
Matt.  5:48.  Heb.  7:19. 

2  Cor.  13:11.  II  Tim.  3:17. 

Heb.  6:1.  Eph.  4:12,  13. 

Gen.  17 :1.  Matt.  19 :21. 

Prayed  for.  Experienced. 
Heb.  13:31.  Gen.  6:9. 

Col.  4 :13.  Job.  1 :1. 

II  Cor.  13:9.  Phil.  3:15. 

I  John  4 :17,  18. 

Heb.  10:14. 

Miscellaneous. 

Ps.  37:37;  Isa.  26:3;  John  17:23;  I  Cor.  2:6;  Col. 
1 :28 ;  James  3 :2 ;  Col.  3 :14. 


HEART  PURITY. 


Required. 
Matt.  5:8. 
I  Tim.  1:5. 
I  Tim.  5:22. 
Experienced, 
I  Pet.  1:23. 
Acts  15:8,  9. 
24:4. 


Provided. 
Titus  2:14. 
I  John  3:3. 
Heb.  9:13,  14. 
Miscellaneous. 
Titus  1:15. 
I  Tim.  4:12. 
Jas.  4:8. 


127 


128 


BIBLE  READINGS. 


SANCTIFICATION. 

Required.  Provided. 
IThess.  4:3.  Heb.  13:12. 

Lev.  20 :7.  Eph.  5 :25,  27. 

Heb.  13 :14  (E.  V.)  John,  17 :19. 

Prayed  for.  Experienced. 
John  17 :17.  Jude  1 :1. 

1  Thess.  5 :23.  Heb.  2  :11. 
Acts  20:32.                                    I  Pet.  1:2. 

Miscellaneous. 

2  Thess.  2:13;  Eom.  15:16!  Acts  26:18;  1  Cor.  6:11; 
II  Tim.  2:21;  Heb.  10:10;  Matt.  23:19. 


Required. 

I  Pet.  1 :15 ;  16. 

I  Thess.  4:7. 
Heb.  12:14. 

II  Cor.  7  :1. 


HOLINESS. 


Provided. 
Luke  1:73-75. 
Heb.  10 :19. 
Eph.  4:24. 
Eph.  5:27. 
Col.  1:22. 


Promised,  ,  Experienced. 

Eph.  1 :  3,  4.  2  Pet.  1 :21. 

1  Pet.  2:9.  I  Pet.  3:5. 
Isa.  35:8.  Heb.  3:1. 

2  Tim.  1 :9.  I  Thess.  5 :37. 

Miscellaneous. 

I  Thess.  3 :13  :  Tit.  1 :8 ;  I  Cor.  3 :17 ;  Rom.  6 :22 ;  Rev. 
22:11;  I  Thess.  2:10;  Heb  12:10 


BIBLE  READINGS. 


129 


PASSAGES    OF    SCRIPTURE  SUGGESTING 
THE  TWO  EXPERIENCES. 

"Pardon  iniquities;''  "Cleanse  iniquity.''  Jer.  33:8. 
"Blot  out  transgressions — in  the  plural ;  Wash  and  cleanse 
from  iniquity  and  sin — in  the  singular.    Ps.  51 2. 

'*An  highway  and  a  way."  Isa.  35  :8. 

"After  that  He  put  his  hands  again  upon  his  eyes.'^ 
Two  touches  necessary  before  he  could  see  clearly.  Mark 
8:22-25. 

"Righteousness  and  sanctification."    I  Cor.  1 :30. 

Engrafting  and  so  becoming  a  "branch" — ^having  life 
and  fruit — one  experience;  After  there  is  fruity  the  pro- 
mise of  a  purging  and  cleansing,  and  more  fruity  a  second 
experience.    John  15  :2. 

Deliverance  from  "Condemnation/'  one  experience;  de- 
liverance from  "the  law  of  sin  and  death/'  a  second  ex- 
perience.  Eom.  8  :1,2. 

"Justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God/'  one  ex- 
perience; "Also  we  have  access  by  faith  into  this  grace 
wherein  we  stand/'  and  glory  in  tribulations  also.  Eom. 
5:1,  2.    Another  experience. 

"Redeem  us  from  all  iniquity  and  purify."   Titus  2 :14. 

Becoming  the  sons  of  God  and  having  the  hope  of  seeing 
him  as  he  is,  one  experience ;  after  this,  "purifieth  himself 
even  as  He  is  pure/'  a  second  experience.    I  John  3  :l-3. 

To  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to  cleanse.    I  John,  1 :7-9. 

"Cleanse  j^our  hands,  ye  sinners;"  a  sinner  is  one  who 
commits  sin;  "and  purify  your  hearts  ye  double  minded." 
A  double-minded  man  is  a  man  wdth  two  minds — the 
carnal  mind  and  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.    Jas.  4:8. 


130  SIBLE  READINGS. 

"Christ  also  loved  the  church  and  gave  Himself  for  it 
that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  Sanctification  is 
for  the  churcli  not  for  sinners.  ''The  Church''  is  made  up 
of  all  true*  believers.  It  is  one  experience  to  be  born  into 
*^the  church/^  and  only  after  that  do  we  become  eligible 
to  the  sanctifying  grace.   Eph.  5 :25-27. 

"I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance/' 
which  brought  to  them  the  remission  of  sins^  (Luke  3 :3) ; 
"He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire/' 
Mat.  3 :11.  The  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given  to 
believers  only,  John  14:17,  and  includes  the  purifying  of 
the  heart..  Acts  15:8,  9. 

"They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world.''    "Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth.''  John  17:1 
17. 

Jesus  evidently  believed  the  disciples  did  not  receive 
sanctification  when  they  were  converted  and  separated  from 
the  world,  but  that  they  should  receive  it  as  a  second  ex- 
perience. He  surely  would  not  have  prayed  for  something 
they  already  had.  He  believed  it  was  a  ^'divine  act" — 
something  his  Father  must  do  for  them;  He  believed  it 
was  an  experience  to  be  realized  in  this  life,  for  He  was 
not  praying  for  death. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


PERFECT  LOVE. 

Text — Herein  is  our  love  made  perfect,  that  we  may 
have  loldness  in  the  day  of  judgment  -.because  as  He  is,  so 
are  we  in  this  world.  There  is  no  fear  in  love;  but  per- 
feet  love  casteth  out  fear:  because  fear  hath  torment.  He 
that  feareth  is  not  made  perfect  in  love, —  1st  J ohn  4 :17-18. 

In  almost  every  congregation  there  are  three  classes  of 
people;  firsts  those  who  are  destitute  of  love  and  impelled 
by  fear ;  second,  those  who  have  a  measure  of  love  mingled 
with  fear;  third;,  those  who  have  love  perfected  and  hence 
are  without  fear. 

I.  FEAR. 

Slavish  fear  is  the  inevitable  consequence  of  guilt.  Sin 
makes  men  cowards.  It  is  this  alarm  within  that  disturbs 
the  rest  of  the  sinner,  and  often  through  the  mercy 
and  grace  of  God,  is  appealed  to  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
bring  men  to  repentance  and  salvation.  Fear  of  penalty, 
fear  of  the  judgment  and  fear  of  eternal  damnation  have 
led  many  to  forsake  sin  and  turn  to  God.  The  man  who 
transgresses  the  law  will  naturally  seek  to  evade  and  avoid 
the  officers  of  the  law.    A  guilty  conscience  needs  no  ae- 

131 


132 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


cuser.  ^The  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursuetli:  but  the 
righteous  are  bold  as  a  lion/'  When  Adam  had  sinned,  he 
said,  ^^I  was  afraid    .    .    .   and  I  hid  myself/' 

II.  LOYE. 

The  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is  Love.  If  a  person  have 
not  love  he  may  ^*^speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of 
angels/'  ^Tiave  the  gift  of  prophesy  and  imderstand  all 
mysteries,  and  all  knowledge/'  and  have  "all  faith/'  so  that 
he  could  remove  mountains,  and  bestow  all  his  "goods  to 
feed  the  poor"  and  even  die  a  mart}T  by  giving  his  ^'body 
to  be  burned"  for  what  he  believed  to  be  the  truth  and  yet 
it  positively  profiteth  Mm  nothing.  "Love  is  the  ful- 
filling of  the  law."  This  divine  love  in  the  heart  is  not 
something  worked  up,  or  the  result  of  human  effort,  but 
"the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us."  "God  is  love;  and  he  that 
dwelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him." 

III.     PERFECT  LOVE. 

All  Christians  have  love,  but  all  Christians  have  not 
perfect  love.  With  many  there  is  ever  present  the  fear  of 
man,  the  fear  of  ridicule  or  censure,  and  the  fear  of  the 
judgment.  While  they  love  God,  and  are  impelled  by  love 
to  seiTe  Him,  they  nevertheless  have  a  continual  inward 
conflict  with  fear,  and  at  times  have  a  real  '^'torment"  because 
of  it.  "Perfect  love  casteth  out  fear."  "He  that  feareth  is 
not  made  perfect  in  love."  In  justification  love  is  imparted; 
in  sanctification  love  is  perfected.  Perfect  love  is  pure 
love  in  a  pure  heart,  loving  God  perfectly  with  all  the 
heart,  soul,  mind  and  strength  and  our  neighbor  as  our- 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


selves.  It  is  called  ^^perfect  love/^  because  that  is  tlic 
nijeasure  of  love  required. 

We  would  note  that  ^^perfect  love'^  is  not  obtained  by 
growth  or  works,  or  any  other  human  eflEort^  but  that  the 
soul  is  ''made  perfect  in  love.^^  It  is  a  work  divinely  in- 
wrought. A  person  cannot  grow  into  regeneration  because 
it  is  a  work  that  God  must  do  in  him ;  exactly  this  is  true 
concerning  ^^perfect  love.^^  Again,  we  would  note  that 
^^perfect  love'^  is  the  proper  fitness  and  preparation  for  the 
judgment.  "Perfect  love^^  and  ^Tioliness,  without  which  no 
man  shall  see  the  Lord''  are  identical 


AN  UTTERMOST  SALVATION 

Text — Wherefore  He  is  able  also  to  save  them  to  the  utter" 
most  that  come  unto  God  by  Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession  for  them.— H.eb.  7:25. 

An  uttermost  salvation  is  the  need  of  the  race.  In  this 
chapter  the  apostle  shows  the  superiority  of  the  eternal, 
unchangeable  priesthood  of  Christ  as  compared  with  that 
of  Aaron^s  order,  and  urges  that  while  "the  law  made  noth- 
ing perfect,  the  bringing  in  of  a  better  hope  did.^^  We  will 
consider,  first,  why  He  is  able;  second,  the  meaning  or 
extent  of  an  uttermost  salvation,  and  third,  to  whom  it  19 
given. 

I.  WHY  HE  IS  ABLE. 

It  is  important  and  comforting  to  note  that  the  promise 
and  possibility  of  a  complete  and  uttermost  salvation  U 
conditioned  on  divine  ability — ^^He  is  able'' — and  not  on 
human  resources  or  achievements.   It  is  not  a  question  as 


134 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


to  what  we  can  do^  but  what  He  can  do.  He  is  able,  1. 
Because  in  offering  Himself  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  He  was 
enabled  to  make  a  perfect  and  complete  atonement  for 
sin,  and  so  to  meet  every  demand  of  God  and  man.  2. 
He  is  able  because  He  personally  struggled  with  our  com- 
mon foe,  and  every  power  of  evil  we  may  encounter,  and 
triumphed  gloriously.  His  victory  is  the  pledge  of  vic- 
tory to  His  people  and  gives  the  assurance  that  we,  too, 
may  be  ^^more  than  conquerors.^^  3.  Because  He  has  grace 
and  power  sufficient  to  sustain  and  keep  His  people  in 
every  trial  of  life — in  all  places  and  circumstances— 
and  give  victory  over  death.  4.  Because  He  ever 
lives  to  perform  within  us  all  the  purposes  of 
His  will  and  to  plead  for  us  in  the  presence  of  God.  This 
seems  to  be  the  special  argument  of  this  chapter. 

II.  MEANING  AND  EXTENT  OF  UTTERMOST  SALVATIOIT. 

1.  Meaning.  I  quote  from  various  commentaries  and 
dictionaries.  "To  save  in  the  most  perfect  manner,  so 
that  nothing  shall  be  wanting  to  complete  the  salvation.'^ 
"A  power  of  working  out  complete  deliverance  for  His  peo- 
ple.^^  "He  is  able  always  to  save.^^  "Always,  and  in  and 
through  all  times,  places  and  circumstances."  "Altogether 
perfectly,  so  that  nothing  should  be  wanting  afterwards^ 
forever."  "Utter,"  means  "realized  or  developed  to  the 
last  degree;  entire  and  complete;  beyond  given  limits; 
greatest  possible  extent;  farthest  point."  According  to 
this,  it  is  to  be  saved  altogether,  always,  perfectly,  nothing 
wanting,  beyond  given  limits,  to  the  farthest  point. 

Extent.  .It  comprehends,  the  deliverance  from,  (a)  "Hbifl 
penalty  of  sin ;  "Jesus  which  delivered  us  from-  the  wratK 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


to  come''  (1  Thes.  1:10).  (b)  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  'There 
is  therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus''  (Eom.  8:1).  (c)  From  the  pollution  and  de- 
filement of  sin.  ''He  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  regener- 
ation" (Tit.  3:5);  "Ye  are  washed"  (1  Cor.  6:11).  (d) 
From  the  power  of  sin;,  "Sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over 
you"  (Eom.  6 :14).  (e)  From  the  inbeing  of  sin,  "The  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin"  (1  John  1:7) ; 
"But  now  being  made  free  from  sin  and  become  servants  to 
God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end  ever- 
lasting life"  (Eom.  6:22).  If  Jesus  Christ  can  save  from 
any  sin  He  can  save  from  all  sin.  "Where  .sin  abounded, 
grace  did  much  more  abound." 

III.     TO  WHOM  GIVEN. 

All  who  "come  unto  God  by  Him."  This  implies  a  wil- 
lingness to  forsake  all  sin,  to  renounce  all  self-righteous- 
ness, and  to  yield  a  willing  and  unconditional  obedience 
to  Him.  It  means  a  personal  approach  to  God  in  aad  by 
and  through  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ.'  "I  am  the  way,  the 
truth  and  the  life :  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by 
Me."  "Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other;  for  there 
is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men  where- 
by we  must  be  saved."  "Whosoever  transgresseth,  and 
abideth  not  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath  not  God/'  No 
man  doubting  and  denying]  the  divinity  of  Christ  can  know 
an  uttermost  salvation. 


136 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


FULL  SALVATION. 

Text — But  of  Him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is 
made  unto  ns  wisdom^  and  right eousness,  and  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  redemption, — i  Cor.  1 :30. 
Full  salvation  comprehends  the  full  provisions  of  the 
Gospel  for  soul,  body  and  spirit.  Through  sin,  the  entire 
man  has  been  vrrecked,  and  Christ  has  come  to  fully  re- 
store to  us  all  that  we  have  lost  by  reason  of  sin.  "Where 
sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more  abound.^^  To  be  full 
partakers  of  the  benefits  of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  we 
must  first  be  ''in  Christ.^^  As  the  branch  in  united  to  the 
vine,  so  intimately  must  we  be  united  to  Jesus  Christ 
This  means  more  than  faith  in  a  historic  Christ,  or  mere 
intellectual  assent  to  truth;  it  means  a  personal  contact 
and  vital  union,  so  as  to  partake  of  his  life  and  nature. 
"If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature ;  old  things? 
are  passed  away : .  behold  all  things  are .  become  new.^' 
When  this  radical  change  takes  place  the  indi- 
vidual T^-ill  know  about  it.  "Whosoever  abideth  in 
Him,  sinneth  not.''  If!  a  man  is  not  saved  from  sinning  he 
is  not  saved  at  all.  "If  a  man  abideth  not  in  Me,  he  is 
cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered  and  men  gather 
them  and  cast  them  into  the  fire  and  they  are  burned."'^ 
From  these  and  similar  passages,  we  see  the  importance  of 
being  ''in  Christ.''  Wlien  "in  Christ"  we  will  find  that 
"His  divine  power  hath  given  unto  us  all  things  that  per- 
tain unto  life  and  godliness." 

I.  WISDOM. 

One  of  the  saddest  features  of  sin  is  that  it  darkens  the 
mind  and  shuts  out  the  knowledge  of  God.    The  god  of 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


137 


this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them  which  believe 
not^  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of  Christy  who  is 
the  image  of  God,  should  shine  unto  them/^  The  man  in 
sin  is  blinded  to  his  own  best  good  and  highest  interest; 
neither  does  he  realize  his  great  peril.  'The  fear  of 
the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom/^  ^^Christ;,  in  whom 
are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge/^ — Col. 
^:2^  3.  *^f  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
who  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it 
shall  be  given  him.^^ 

II.  RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Adam  Clark  says  of  the  word  righteousness  that  it 
"means  God^s  method  of  saving  sinners.^^  Through  the 
transforming  power  of  the  Gospel,  an  unrighteous  man  is 
changed  into  a  righteous  man.  "Abraham  believed  God^, 
and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness.^^  "As 
by  one  man^s  disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by 
the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous.^^  "To 
him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  Him  that  justi- 
fieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness.^^ 

III.  SANCTIFICATION. 

"This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctification/' 
Sanctification  is  "the  act  of  divine  grace  whereby  we  are 
made  holy.^^  While  justification  deals  with  sins  commit- 
ted, sanctification  eradicates  inbred  sin.  Sanctification  is 
an  experience  for  believers  only,  and  is  conditioned  upon 
entire  consecration  and  faith,  subsequent  to  pardon.  Justi- 
fication delivers  from'  guilt  and  condemnation;  sanctifica- 
tion delivers  from  unholy  tempers  and  sinful  appetites. 


138 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


"Christ  also  loved  the  Church  and  gave  Himself  for  it, 
that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse^  it/^  God,  the  Father, 
wills  onr  sanctification.  Christ,  the  Son,  provided  it,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  accomplishes  it. 

IV.  REDEMPTION. 

Full  redemption  includes  the  body,  and  will  be  realized 
when  this  corruptible  shall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and 
this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  immortality*  Blessed  hope 
and  promise  of  immortality.  But,  even  now,  "If  the  spirit 
of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you, 
He  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken 
your  mortal  bodies  by  His  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you.^^ 
So  far  as  our  spiritual  nature  is  concerned,  there  is  com- 
plete redemption  now. 


THE  TWO  BAPTISMS. 

Text:  I  indeed  iaptize  you  with  water  unto  repentance 
tut  Tie  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than  I,  whose 
shoes  I  am  not  ivorthy  to  loose;  He  shall  Iaptize  you 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire. — Matt.  3:11. 
In  Jewish  history,  Pentecost  was  the  festival  which 
marked  the  conclusion  of  the  harvest  commenced  with  the 
Passover  fifty  days  before,  called  "the  feast  of  weeks/^ 
Among  Christians  it  is  the  third  of  the  chief  festivals  and 
designates  the  whole  period  from  Easter  to  Pentecost,  and 
is  especially  significant  and  celebrated  because  of  the  de- 
Bcent  and  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.   It  marked  a  new 
epoch  and  was  the  ushering  in  of  a  new  dispensation.  It 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


was  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  Peter  declaring,  'This 
is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel ;  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of 
my  spirit  upon  all  flesh :  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy,^^  etc.  It  was  the  fulfillment  of  the  words 
of  this  text,  as  spoken  by  John  the  Baptist.  Not  only 
should  we  know  of  an  historic  Pentecost,  but  we  should 
know  of  an  individual,  experimental  Pentecost.  •  The  words 
of  our  te^t  speak  of  two  baptisms;  one  administered  by 
John:  the  other  administered  by  Christ. 

JOHN^S  BAPTISM. 

John^s  baptism  was  an  ^^indeed^^  baptism  and  was  the 
outward  seal  and  sign  of  an  inward  experience.  John  did 
not  baptize  just  any  one  whp  applied.  First,  he  preached 
and  required  genuine  repentance,  and  demanded  that  they 
*TDring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance.^^  (Matt.  3:7-9.) 
Genuine  repentance  includes  the  confession  and  forsaking 
of  all  sin.  He  who  has  not  abandoned  and  for- 
Baken  all  sin  has  not  truly  repented.  Second,  John 
preached  that  genuine  repentance  would  bring  the  '^re- 
mission of  sins/^ — Luke  3 :3.  Third,  when  people  had 
truly  repented  and  received  the  remission  of  sins,  there 
was  to  be  a  ^'knowledge  of  salvation/^  Not  a  'Tiope  so/^ 
but  a  know  so  salvation;  they  were  to  know  they  had  it. 
Fourth,  he  preached  ^'that  they  should  believe  on  him  who 
should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Christ  Jesus.'' — Acts 
19  A.  Fifth,  he  preached  that  "He  that  believeth  on  the 
Son  hath  everlasting  life.''— John  3:26-36.  So  we 
see  that  John's  converts  had  no  superficial  experience, 
but   had   genuine  conversion,     Yet  it  was  distinctly 


140 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


declared  and  understood  that  John^s  ministry  was  simply 
to  ^Trepare  the  way  of  the  Lford/^  It  was  simply  preparing 
them  for  Christ^s  baptism,  showing  clearly  that  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Ghost  is  a  second  experience  for  truly 
justified  people  only. 

CHRIST^S  BAPTISM. 

We  need  to  distinguish  between  the  hirth  of  the  Spirit 
and  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit.  These  terms  represent 
two  distinct  experiences.  In  the  nature  of  things  the 
birth  must  precede  the  baptism.  Christ  was  the  gift  of 
God  to  the  world;  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  gift  of  God  to 
the  church — not  to  the  world.  J esus  said  positively,  while 
speaking  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "Whom  the  world  cannot  re- 
ceive/^— John  14:17.  There  are  three  words  used  in 
Scripture  to  denote  the  relation  of  the  believer  to  the 
Holy  Spirit,  namely,  the  words,  "upon,'^  "with/^  and 
"in.^^  To  have  the  Holy  Spirit  "upon  ^^us  is  to  have  spe- 
cial enduement  of  power  for  the  highest  efficiency  and  the 
accomplishment  of  the  special  callings  in  divine  services. — 
Acts  1 :8.  To  have  the  Holy  Spirit  "with^^  us  is  the  re- 
lation of  justified  believers  before  they  are  wholly  sancti- 
fied. Jesus  said  to  his  desciples,  (who  were  truly  justified), 
"He  dwelleth  with  you,^^  and  gave  them  that  deeper 
promise,  "And  shall  be  in  you/^ — John  14:17.  Thus  we 
see  that  to  have  the  Holy  Spirit  in  us,  is  that  measure 
which  is  granted  to  the  sanctified  believer  to  purify  the 
heart.  Peter,  in  explaining  what  transpired  at  the  house 
of  Cornelius,  says,  "God  gave  them  the  Holy  Ghost  even 
as  He  did  unto  us,  purifying  their  hearts  by  faith.^'  Hence 
we  see  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  includes  the 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


141 


purifying  of  the  heart  by  faith.  Second,  it  is  the  im- 
partation  of  power;  power  to  abstain  from  all  evil;  power 
to  perform  and  execute  all  the  will  of  God;  power  to 
Buffer  patiently  all  the  will  of  God  permits  us  to  suffer. 
Third,  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  means  an  infill- 
ing— ^^they  were  all  filled/^  The  valley  of  the  Nile  has 
been  famous  for  its  fertility  for  thousands  of  years.  This 
fertility  is  due  to  the  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile.  We 
need  the  overflow  to  save  this  country  from  a  spiritual 
famine. 


HOLINESS  OR  HELL:  WHICH? 

Text: — Follow  peace  with  all  men,  and  holiness^  without 
which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord,  ,Heh.  12:14. 

The  subject/ as  stated  above,  may  at  first  appear  rather 
emphatic  and  startling,  but  in  its  last  analysis  is  simply 
the  plain  teaching  of  the  Bible,  and  of  all  evangelical  de- 
nominations. All  Christians  believe  that  heaven  is  a  holy 
place,  and  that  no  sin  can  enter  there.  Hence,  if  men  are 
not  made  holy  they  cannot  enter  heaven,  and  if  they  can- 
not enter  heaven  they  must  take  up  their  abode  with  the 
lost. 

HOLINESS. 

Commanded:  As  He  which  hath  called  you  is  holy,  so 
be  ye  holy.— 1  Peter  1 :15,  16. 

Called  to  holiness:  God  hath  not  called  us  unto  uii- 
cleanness,  but  unto  holiness. — :1  Thess.  4 :7. 

Chosen  to  holiness:  He  hath  chosen  us  in  Him  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be  holy  and 
without  blame  before  Him  in  love. — Eph.  1 :4. 


142 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


Chastised  to  hring  us  to  holiness:  Our  fathers  '^Chas- 
tened us  after  their  own  pleasure,  but  He  for  our  profit, 
that  we  might  be  partakers  of  His  holiness/^  (Heb.  12  :10.) 

Holiness  realized  and  perfected :  '^Having  therefore  these 
promises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all 
filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  God/'— 2  Cor.  7 :1. 

Established  in  holiness:  To  the  end  He  may  establish 
your  hearts  unblameable  in  holiness  before  God,  even  our 
Father.— 1  Thess.  3  :13. 

Holiness  lived :  That  we  being  delivered  out  of  the  hand 
of  our  enemies  might  serve  Him  without  fear,  in  holiness 
and  righteousness  before  Him  all  the  days  of  our  life. — 
Luke  1 :74,  75. 

Holiness  provided:  Christ  also  loved  the  Church  and 
gave  Himself  for  it;  that  He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse 
it  .  .  .  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish. — 
Eph.  5:25-27. 

Holiness  experienced:  Holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they 
were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost. — 2  Pet.  1 :21. 

After  this  manner  in  the  old  timje  the  holy  v/omen  also, 
who  trusted  in  God,  adorned  themselves. — 2  Pet.  3:5. 

What  excuse  can  there  be  for  men  not  to  be  holy? 

THE  DESTINY  OF  THOSE  V7H0  REFUSE  HOLINESS. 

The  Bible  speaks  of  it  as : 

"HelV  (Matt.  5:29,  30;  10:28.) 
"Hell  fire,''  (Matt.  18 :9 ;  5 :  22.) 
"Furnace  of  fire,''  (Matt.  13:42,  50.) 
"Unquenchable  fire,"  (Luke  3:17;  Mark  9:43-46.) 
'TLake  of  fire,"  (Kev.  20:14,  15.) 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


143 


"Fire  and  brimstone/'  (Eev.  21:8;  19:20.) 
"Outer  darkness/'  (Matt.  8:12;  22:13.) 
"Everlasting  destruction/'  (2  Thess.  1:9.) 
"Everlasting  punishment/'  (Matt.  25:46.) 
"Eternal  damnation/'  (Mark  3:29.) 
"The  bottomless  pit/'  (Eev.  20:1.) 

WHO  THE  INHABITANTS  WILL  BE. 

"The  Devil  and  his  angles/'  (Mat.  25 :41.) 

*The  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  na- 
tions that  forget  God."  (Psa.  9:17.) 

"Them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  Gospel  of 
our  Lord  Jgbus  Christ."  (2  Thess.  1:8.) 

"All  things  that  offend,  and  tliem  which  do  iniquity/' 
(Matt.  13:41.) 

"The  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and 
murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idola- 
ters, and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which 
bumeth  with  fire  and  brimstone."  (Eev.  21:8.) 

"And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 
life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  (Eev.  20:15.) 

Hell  is  a  necessity  not  only  as  a  punishment  for  the  law- 
less, but  as  a  protection  for  the  law  abiding. 

Hell  was  not  created  for  men  and  was  never  intended  for 
them,  but  was  ''prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels."  He 
who  goes  there  goes  as  an  intruder. 

God  does  not  send  men  to  hell;  they  go  there  as  the 
result  of  their  own  choice.  Men  can  be  saved  if  they 
will  be. 

Hell  is  dreadful  because  of  the  correspondence  between 


144 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


the  characters  who  go  there  and  the  place ;  also  because  of 
what  is  not  there.  There  is  no  law,  no  love,  no  hope,  no 
truth  and  no  rest  in  hell.  Even  the  lost  in  hell  pray 
against  others  coming  there.  (Luke  16:28.) 


HOLINESS  VERSUS  BACKSLIDING. 

Text — If  after  they  have  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the 
world  through  the  Icnowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ,  they  are  again  entangled  therein,  and  over^ 
come,  the  latter  end  is  worse  with  them  than  the  begins 
ning.  For  it  had  been  better  for  them  not  to  have  known 
the  way  of  righteousness,  than,  after  they  have  known  it, 
to  turn  from  the  holy  commandment  delivered  unto 
them.— II  Pet,  2  :20.21. 

Immobility  is  inconsistent  with  our  being,  mentally, 
physically  or  spiritually.  We  either  advance  or  retrograde ; 
increase  or  decrease ;  especially  is  this  true  of  our  spiritual 
life;  there  is  no  standing  still.  The  sin  of  omission  ter- 
minates in  sins  of  commission.  The  way  to  keep  from 
backsliding  is  to  persistently  and  obediently  press  for- 
ward. To  rest  in  a  past  experience  is  perilous  and  soon 
leaves  the  soul  destitute  of  saving  grace.  ^^For  we  are 
made  partakers  of  Christ,  if  we  hold  the  beginning  of  our 
confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end.^^  Some  lessons  from 
the  text  are:  (1)  There  is  an  escape  from  the  pollu- 
tions of  the  world.  (2)  The  way  of  escape.  (3)  That 
holiness  is  imperative.  (4)  That  holiness  is  a  second 
experience.  (5)  The  latter  end  of  a  backslider  worse 
than  the  beginning. 


Sermon  outlines. 


145 


I.     AN  ESCAPE. 

There  is  a  way  out  of  sin  and  the  pollutions  of  the 
world.  Thank  God!  Sin  pollutes,  corrupts  and  de- 
grades everything  contaminated  thereby.  Oh,  the  filth- 
iness  of  sin!  A  sin  polluted  heart  means  polluted 
thoughts,  polluted  words,  polluted  life.  Hence  David  said, 
^^He  brought  me  up  also  out  of  an  horrible  pit,  out  of  the 
miry  clay.^^ 

II.     THE  WAY  OF  ESCAPE. 

^^Escaped  *  *  *  through  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.''  An  experimental  knowledge 
of  salvation  can  only  come  to  the  soul  that  has  forsaken 
all  sin  and  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  is 
"the  waj^,  the  truth,  and  the  life.'^  His  name  is  called 
"Jesus;  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins;'' 
"who  gave  Himself  for  our  sins,  that  He  might  deliver 
us  from  this  present  evil  world,  according  to  the  will 
of  God."  "Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other;  for 
there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

III.     HOLINESS  IMPERATIVE. 

Holiness  is  the  Bible  standard.  Holiness  is  freedom 
from  sin.  There  is  nothing  mysterious  about  this  sub- 
ject. If  a  man  is  done  with  sin  he  wants  holiness;  when 
a  man  does  not  want  holiness  it  is  evident  he  wants  sin; 
there  is  nothing  else  to  want.  God  commands,  "Be  ye 
holy."  It  is  not  optional  but  imperative.  To  disobey 
is  sin.  No  person  can  disobey  His  word  and  retain  His 
favor.  "Follow  peace  with  all  men  and  holiness,  without 
which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 


146 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


IV.    A  SECOND  EXPERIENCE. 

It  was  those  who  ^Tiave  escaped  the  pollution  of  the 
world/'  and  ^^have  known  the  way  of  righteousness/'  "after 
they  have  known  it/^  "turn  from  the  holy  command- 
ment.^^ What  is  "the  holy  commandment?^'  Undoubt- 
edly the  commandment  to  be  holy.  Thus  we  see  that 
the  commandment  to  be  holy  is  to  those  who  have  already 
^'escaped^^  and  know  "the  way  of  righteousness/^  Hence 
we  see  that  backsliding  is  the  result  of  "turning  from" 
the  commandment  to  be  holy. 

V.     WORSE  THAN  BEGINNING. 

This  is  so  because  increased  light  brings  increased  respon- 
sibility, and  increased  condemnation.  It  is  "worse^^  be- 
cause it  destroys  confidence  in  one's  self  and  in  religion 
in  general.  Such  an  one  is  apt  to  say,  "I  have  tried 
it  once,  and  can^t  hold  out.^^  It  is  "worse^^  because  of  the 
destractive  influence  it  has  on  others  and  thus  augments 
guilt.  It  is  "worse^^  because  of  the  torment  and  tortures 
memory  will  inflict  in  hell,  when  it  shall  be  said,  "Son, 
remember/^ 


SERMON  OUTLINES.  147 

HEAVENLY  MINDEDNESS. 

Text — Let  this  mind  ie  in  you,  ivhich  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus:  who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it 
not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God:  but  made  Himself  of  no 
reputationj  and  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant^ 
and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men. — Phil  2 :5-7. 

Not  only  is  it  ours  to  believe  on  Christ,  but  to  be  in- 
dwelt  by  the  very  mind  of  Chirist.  Whoever  is  willing  to 
have  his  own  carnal  mind  destroyed  may  '^have  the  mind 
of  Christ/' 

The  text  urges  the  mind  of  Christ  with  particular  ref- 
erence to  His  humiliation.  In  order  to  have  a  proper 
appreciation  of  His  condescending  love,  we  need  to  ap- 
prehend some  of  His  glory  before  His  himiiliation. 

I.     WHO  AND  WHERE  HE  WAS. 

He  was  one  with  the  Father.  John  10 :30,  38.  He  ' Vas 
with  God/'  Yea  He  ^Vas  God.''  John  1:1.  ^^AU  things 
were  created  by  Him,  and  for  Him]:  and  He  is  before  all 
things,  and  by  Him  all  things  consist."  Col.  1 :16,  17. 
^^God  *  *  *  hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto 
us  by  His  Son,  whom  He  hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things, 
by  whom  also  He  made  the  worlds ;  who  being  the  bright- 
ness of  His  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  His  person, 
and  upholding  all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power." 
Heb.  1:2,  3.  He  could  say,  "He  that  hath  seen  Me 
hath  seen  the  Father." 

He  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  ^Tieir  of  all  things," 
attended  by  angels,  "upholding  all  things  by  the  word 
of  His  power"  encircled  with  light  and  glory  unto  which 


148 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


no  being  could  approach,  but  emptied  Himself,  laying 
aside  the  effulgence  of  His  glory,  became  a  servant,  and 
humbled  Himself  even  unto  the  death  of  the  cross. 

II.     HIS  HUMILIATION. 

*^He,  who  was  the  Son  of  God,  became  the  Son  of 
man,  that  we  who  were -the  sons  of  men  might  become 
the  sons  of  God.'^  The  babe  of  Bethlehem,  the  man  of 
Galilee,  the  Lamb  of  Calvary — ^how  marvelous  and  over- 
whelming the  contrast.  ^'Of  no  reputation/^  despised  and 
rejected  of  men;  a  wanderer,  with  nd  place  to  lay  His 
head;  washing  the  disciples^  feet — the  servant  of  all; 
buffeted,  spit  upon,  in  the  hands  of  a  mob — crucified.  ^^He 
was  oppressed,  and  He  was  afflicted,  yet  He  opened  not 
His  mouth;  He  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  He  opened 
not  His  mouth.  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  from 
judgment:  and  who  shall  declare  His  generation?  for  He 
was  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living  and  He  made 
His  grave  with  the  wicked,  and  with  the  rich  in  His 
death:  because  He  had  done  no  violence,  neither  was  any 
deceit  in  His  mouth.^^  What  a  picture  of  the  omnipotent, 
eternal,  infinite  God!   And  all  this  to  save  a  poor  sinner. 

III.     ^'lET  THIS  MIND  BE  IN  YOU."' 

"The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately 
wicked:  who  can  know  it?^^  Out  of  the  heart  are  the 
issues  of  life.  Eesolutions,  and  will  power  can  never  change 
a  heart  that  boasts  and  glories  in  its  very  shame.  Wliile 
the  self-life  remains,  a  man  will  become  "vainly  puffed 
up  by  his  fleshly  mind.'^    Before  we  can  manifest  His 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


149 


outward  lowliness  and  meekness  and  humility  the  ^^carnal 
mind'^  which  ^'is  enmity  against  God^^  must  be  utterly  de- 
stroyed. It  is  death  to  all  self-will,  self-seeking,  selfish 
ambitions  and  self-exaltation.  Instead  of  being  in  the 
service  of  God  for  what  we  may  be  able  to  get  out  of  it, 
we  shall  then  be  in  the  service  of  God  for  what  we  may 
put  into  it;  to  serve  rather  than  to  be  served.  A  holy  heart, 
made  so  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  transforming 
power  of  the  gospel,  alone  can  bring  the  individual  where 
^^this  mind  is  in  you.^^  ^^He  that  saith  He  abideth  in  Him, 
ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as  He  wuTked/' 


CHRIST  THE  WAY. 

Text:  Jesus  said  unto  him,  I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life,  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by 
me,   John  14:6. 

This  text  is  generally  divided  into  three  parts,  each  part 
independent  of  the  other  parts.  But  this  not  so. 
The  text  is  a  unity.  Christ  had  told  His  disciples  that 
He  was  going  to  prepare  a  place  for  them  in  His  Father's 
house,  adding,  '^and  whither  I  go  ye  know,  and  the  way 
ye  know.^'  Thomas  replied,  ^'Lord,  we  know  not  whither 
thou  goest;  and  how  can  we  know  the  way?^'  The  question 
of  Thomas  involved  an  inquiry  with  reference  to  a  single 
thing — ''the  way:''  so  Christ's  reply  was  an  answer  in- 
volving only  a  single  thing.  The  words  truth  and  life 
were  only  used  as  they  had  reference  to  the  great  fact 
announced.  'T  am  the  way,' —the  word  truth  expressing 
the  character  of  ^the  way;"  the  word  life  as  expressing 


150 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


the  direction  and  end  of  ^^the  wajf  as  if  Christ  had  said, 
^''I  am  the  truthful  way  which  leads  to  life/^ 

Christ  did  not  say,  *1  am  a  way/'  but,  "I  am  the 
way He  only  is  ''the  way''  to  God ;  ''no  man  cometh  unto 
the  Father,  but  by  me."  This  declaration  means  ^  death 
to  TJnitarianism  and  Swedenborgianism^  and  every  other 
cult  and  pretense  that  ignores  or  denies  the  divinity  of 
Christ. 

FROM  WHAT  AND  TO  WHAT  THE  WAY  LEADS. 

From  death  to  life :  Spiritual  life  is  three-fold  in  its 
character,  having  a  principle,  an  essence,  and  a  develop- 
ment. The  principle  of  spiritual  life  is  faith  in  God;  the 
essence  of  spiritual  life  is  love  to  God;  and  the  develop- 
ment of  spritual  life  is  obedience  to  God;  this  three-fold 
aspect  of  spiritual  life  corresponds  exactly  with  man's 
three-fold  capacity  of  moral  character,  expressed  by  the 
words  intellect,  sensibilities  and  conduct.  A  man  may 
think  right,  feel  right  and  act  right.  "He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life."  Faith  is  lodged  in 
the  intellect.  "We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death 
unto  life,  because  we  love.'  "He  that  loveth  not  knoweth 
not  God."  Love  is  lodged  in  the  sensibilities.  "He  that 
hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that 
loveth  me  .  .  and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest 
myself  to  him."  Development  of  spiritual  life  is  condi- 
tioned on  obedience  which  is  lodged  in  conduct.  'And 
you  hath  He  quickened  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins.'^ 

From  darTcness  to  light.  Sin  plunges  the  soul  into 
darkness,  so  that  a  man  dying  without  Christ,  always 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


crosses  the  river  of  death  in  midnight  darkness.  "In 
Him  was  life;  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men/' 
am  the  light  of  the  world :  He  that  foUoweth  me  shall  not 
walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life/'  '^God, 
who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness, 
hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ/'  "God 
is  light,  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all.  If  we  say  that 
we  have  fellowship  with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we 
lie,  and  do  not  the  truth." 

From  sin  to  holiness.  *^Ye  know  that  He  was  manifested 
to  take  away  our  sins."  "If  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  He 
is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin."  "Now  being  made  free  from  sin,  and  become  ser- 
vants to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end 
everlasting  life." 

He  is  the  way  from  bondage  to  liberty;  from  weakness 
to  strength,  from  sadness  to  gladness ;  from  earth  to  heaven 
He  is  the  only  way,  a  living  way,  an  accessable  way,  a  plain 
way,  a  perpetual  way  and  a  sure  way. 

"N'either  is  there  salvation  in  any  other;  for  there  is 
none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men,  where- 
by we  must  be  saved." 


152 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


SECRETS  OF  VICTORY. 

Text :  In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors 
through  Him  that  loved  us,   Rom.  8:37. 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  frequently  likened  to 
an  army,  and  we  are  exhorted  to  "endure  hardnesS;,  as 
a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ/^  and  "fight  the  good  fight 
of  faith.^^  There  can  be  no  victory  without  conflict  and 
battle.  The  greater  the  battle,  the  grander  the  victory. 
To  be  a  conqueror  in  all  the  conflicts  of  life  means  much ; 
but  to  be  ''more  than  conquerors/^  means  more.  It 
means  that  the  victories  are  gained  with  some  rounds  of 
ammunition  left^  as  in  the  case  of  David  and  Goliath;  he 
slew  Goliath  with  his  first  round  of  ammunition  and  came 
back  with  four  rounds  of  amm^unition  left,  ready  for  four 
more  giants.  To  be  "more  than  conquerors/^  means  that 
you  take  some  spoils,  as  in  the  case  of  Jehosaphat  and  his 
army  against  the  children  of  Ammon,  Moab,  and  the 
people  of  Mount  Sier,  where  the  victory  was  so  glorious 
it  took  them  three  days  to  gather  up  the  spoils.  2  Chron. 
20:25.  To  be  "more  than  conqueror"  means  that  you 
are  continually  taking  advanced  ground ;  that  the  ashes  of 
your  camfp-fires  will  not  be  found  two  nights  in  the  same 
place.  Such  a  life  is  the  privilege  of  all  saints.  Note 
some  secrets  of  this  victorious  life. 

1.  CONVICTION. 

Mere  intellectual  assent  to  truth  does  not  make  men 
soldiers.  The  fellow  who  believes  just  as  the  last  man 
he  met,  and  is  on  both  sides  of  the  question — is  what  is 
known  as  a  policy  man — is  no  good.    He  Is  what  Dr. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


153 


Bresee  would  call  a  ^^putty  fellow/^  Lik-e  the  man^  when 
asked  what  he  believed,  said,  he  ^l^elieved  just  as  the 
church  believed/^  When  asked  what  the  church  believed, 
said,  ^*the  church  believes  as  I  believe;^'  when  asked 
what  he  and  the  church  together  believed,  he  was  quite  sure 
they  both  together  believed  exactly  the  same  thing — ^but 
did  not  know  what  it  was.  A  good  soldier  has  deep 
rooted  convictions — really  believes  some  things — and  be- 
lieves them  with  all  his  heart.  Convictions  divinely  in- 
wrought by  the  Holy  Ghost  that  Jesus  Christ  can  save 
from  all  sin — ^within  and  without — is  the  contention  of 
our  church.  Salvation  from  all  sin,  is  our  battle  cry. 
Sentimental  folk  are  not  the  kind  that  heroes,  and  warriors, 
and  martyrs  are  made  of. 

II.  VICTORY  WITHIN. 

The  ^^old  man^^  is  an  enemy  of  God  and  an  ally  of  Satan. 
While  he  is  within  he  will  betray  you  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  An  inward  foe  is  more  to  be  feared  than  out- 
ward foes.  The  destruction  of  inbred  sin  brings  inward 
rest  and  victory.  A  civil  war  means  the  division  of  forces 
and  leaves  the  nation  a  prey  to  other  powers.  One  of  the 
advantages  of  the  sanctified  life  is  that  ^Ve  wrestle  not 
against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities, 
against  powers,^'  etc.,  all  of  which  are  without.  Hence 
David  prayed,  'finite  my  heart  to  fear  thy  name.^^  Ps. 
86:11.  Inward  victory  is  the  secret  of  outward  victory. 
If  you  would  have  victory  on  the  field  of  battle,  you 
must  first  have  perfect  victory  at  home,  which  can  only 
come  by  being  sanctified  wholly,  and  so  have  tht  carnal 
mind  destroyed. 


154 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


III.  ENTIRE  CONSECRATION. 

Half  heartedness  means  certain  defeat.  A  devotion  that 
will  gladly  yield  up  all,  even  life  itself,  is  one  of  the 
essential  secrets  of  victory.  True  consecration  never  stops 
to  count  the  cost,  when  once  the  will  of  God  is  made  clear. 
Such  men  will  take  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods, 
and  rejoice  they  are  counted  worthy  to  suffer  persecution 
for  Has  sake. 

IV.  FULL  EQUIPMENT. 

We  are  urged  to  ^^put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that 
ye  may  be  able  to  stand.^^  The  first  inference  is  that 
without  the  whole  armor  we  may  not  be  able  to  stand, 
and  the  second  inference  is  that  with  the  ''whole  armor'^ 
we  will  be  able  to  stand.  This  armor  will  make  one  in- 
vulnerable, and  more  than  a  match  for  Satan.  For  de- 
scription of  same,  read  Eph.  6 :11-16.  In  this  armor  there 
is  no  provision  for  the  back,  as  we  are  expected  to  keep 
our  face  toward  the  foe.  Many  are  wounded  in  the  back 
because  of  compromise. 

V.     KNOWLEDGE  OF  RESOURCES. 

To  know  that  God  and  all  the  angels  and  all  the  re- 
sources of  heaven  are  pledged  to  our  victory  will  inspire 
great  confidence.  One  man  with  God  is  always  a  majority. 
^The  people  that  do  know  their  God  shall  be  strong  and  do 
exploits.''^  ^^Victory  is  of  the  Lord.'^  (Marg.  Prov. 
21:31).  We  ever  need  to  remember  that  ^'the  battle  is 
not  ours,  but  God^s"  He  will  make  a  highway  through 
the  sea,  command  the  sun  to  stand  still,  cause  the  stars 
to  fight  against  our  enemies,  stop  the  mouths  of  lions. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


155 


quench  tHe  fires  that  may  be  kindled,  and  turn  the  victory 
on  IsraeFs  side,  if  we  will  but  trust  Him.  "Faith  is  the 
victory/^  Courage  is  faith  on  the  battlefield.  ^'Tliey 
overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives 
unto  the  death/^  "Thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us 
the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ/^ 


SELF  EXAMINATION. 

Text.  Examine  yourselves^  whether  ye  he  in  the  faith  ; 
prove  your  own  selves, .  .  Know  ye  not  your  own  selves, 
how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  he  reprohates? 
—2Cor.  13:5. 

Self  examination  may  not  be  a  pleasant  task,  but  is 
certainly  most  essential  and  profitable.  The  text  does  not 
say  that  we  should  examine  other  people,  but  ''examine 
yourselves/*  The  questions  of  our  relations  to  God  and 
eternal  destiny  are  of  such  solemn  import  that  we  can 
not  afford  to  be  mistaken  or  deceived. 

UNION  WITH  CHRIST. 

The  union  of  the  believer  with  his  Lord  is  a  reciprocal 
union.  '^Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you.'^  This  means  more 
than  assent  to  truth,  or  faith  in  a  historic  Christ,  or 
subscribing  your  name  to  a  creed;  it  means  a  personal 
contact  and  a  vital  union  with  Christ,  as  the  vine  and 
its  branches,  as  the  body  and  its  members,  as  the  head  and 
the  body.  Then,  as  Luther  has  said,  ^^AU  that  Christ  has, 
now  becomes  the  property  of  the  believing  soul;  all  that 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


the  soul  has,  becomes  the  property  of  Christ.  Christ 
possesses  every  blessing  and  eternal  salvation;  they  are 
henceforth  the  property  of  the  soul/^ 

SOME  EVIDENCES  OF  THIS  UNION. 

1.  Saved  from  sinning.  *^Whosoever  abideth  in  Him 
sinneth  not ;  whosoever  sinneth  hath  not  seen  Him,  neither 
Known  Him/' — 1  John  3 :6.  Whosoever  is  not  saved  from 
sinning  is  not  saved  at  all.  A  sinning  religion  is  the 
deviFs  religion.  *^He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  th.e  devil 
— 1  John  3:8. 

2.  No  condemnation.  "There  is  therefore  now  no 
condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesns.^^ — Eom. 
8:1.  Sin  and  condemnation  are  inseparable.  Whosoever 
commits  sin  is  necessarily  under  condemination,  even 
though  the  soul  does  not  realize  its  guilt  all  the  while. 
^'He  that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already.'^ — John 
3:18. 

3.  A  new  creature.  ''It  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a 
new  creature:  old  things  are  passed  away;  behold,  all 
things  are  become  new.^^ — 2  Cor.  5 :17.  To  be  in  Christ 
means  more  than  turning  over  a  new  leaf,  the  passing  of 
a  new  resolution^  or  mere  reformation;  it  is  a  new  cre- 
ation; a  regeneration  and  transformation  inwrought  by 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

4.  Spiritual  life.  "He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life.'' 
— 1  John  5:12.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  dead  Chris- 
tian. "And  you  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  sins.''  In  Christ  the  soul  will  know  the 
throbbings  and  pulsations  of  divine  life.    Jesus  said,  "I 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


am  come  tha.t  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might 
have  it  more  abimdantly/^ — John  10:10. 

5.  Fruitful.  ^'He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  T  in  him, 
the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit/^ — John  15 :5.  Fruit 
is  the  spontaneous  result  of  life.  As  Gordon  has  said,  ^The 
method  of  grace  is  precisely  the  reverse  of  the  method  of 
legalism.  The  latter  is  holiness  in  order  to  union  with 
God,  the  former,  union  with  God  in  order  to  holiness/^ 
We  need  to  distinguish  between  works  and  fruit.  ^'The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  longsuffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance ; 
against  such  there  is  no  law.^^ — Gal.  5 :22,23. 

THE  EXAMINATION. 

^^Christ  in  you'^  excludes  all  that  is  not  Christly.  The 
soul  may  be  compared  to  a  seven  story  building,  as  fol- 
lows: The  will;  the  affections;  the  thoughts;  the  appe- 
tites; the  tempers;  the  motives;  and  the  secret  life.  The 
investigation  and  examination  should  go  through  all  these 
various  departments  and  see  that  the  Christ  attitude 
dominates  and  fills  each  department.  Only  the  light  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  Word  of  God  can  disclose  to  us 
our  real  inwardness.  '^Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the 
inward  parts;  and  in  the  hidden  part  thou  shalt  make 
me  to  know  wisdom.'^ 

A  reprobate  is  one  abandoned  as  hopelessly  wicked,  or 
to  a  hopele^ss  doom. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


GLORYING  IN  THE  CROSS. 

Text — But  God  forbid  that  I  sJiould  glory  save  in  the 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is 
crucified  unto  mCj  and  I  unto  the  world, — Gal.  6 :14. 

'T^n  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 
Towering  o^er  the  wrecks  of  time, 

All  the  light  of  sacred  story, 

Gathers  ^round  its  head  sublime/^ 

The  cross  is  mentioned  in  three  different  senses  in  the 
Bible.  It  is  important  to  distinguish  them.  First,  it  is 
used  to  signify  the  wooden  cross,  upon  which  the  Lord 
Jesua  was  crucified.  Second,  it  is  used  to  signify  the  way 
of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ  crucified.  Third,  it  is  used 
to  signify  the  sufferings  that  come  to  us  in  following 
Christ, 

I.  THE  WOODEN  CROSS. 

As  an  instrument  of  death,  the  cross  was  of  Eoman  in- 
vention and  was  used  only  in  case  of  slaves,  or  very  no- 
torious criminals,  and  malefactors  of  the  basest  sort. 
This  was  the  death  to  which  J esus  stooped.  *^He  endured 
the  cross,  despising  the  shame.^^  In  the  cross  we  see  the 
stem,  unrelenting  hand  of  justice  exacting  the  penalty 
of  the  law  for  sin,  and  also  the  unfathomable  love  of 
God  for  a  lost  world.  The  cross  speaks  to  us  of  substi- 
tution, of  reconciliation,  of  peace  with  God,  and  of  life 
eternal. 

n.  THE  CROSS^  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION. 

This  is  the  sense  in  which  the  word  is  used  in  the  text. 
It  is  the  name  given  to  the  whol-e  plan  of  salvation  by  a 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


crucified  Eedeemer.  As  in  1  Cor.l  :18 :  ^^The  preaching  of 
the  Cross  is  to  them  that  perish  foolishness,  bijt  unto  us 
who  are  saved;,  it  is  the  power  of  God/^  Glorying  in  the 
Cross  means  the  renunciation  of  alF  self  iighteousness, 
and  of  all  the  law  and  an  entire  reliance  upon  and  accept- 
ance of  the  finished  work  of  Calvary  as  the  only  hope  for 
a  sinner.  Glorying  in  the  Cross  means  not  only  that  we 
endure  the  Cross  but  that  we  delight  in  it,  and  go  with 
Him  to  the  Cross  un;til  we  can  say,  ''I  am  crucified  with 
Christ'^  and  so  are  '^made  conformable  unto  His  death.'* 
Crucifixion  is  the  divine  method  for  the  self-life, — ^the 
carnal  mind  which  we  inherited,  ^^^nowing  this,  that  our 
old  man  is  crucified  with  Him.^^  Eom.  6 :6.  This  is  the 
^'second  blessing,  properly  so  called.^'  In  justification 
our  spiritual  sensibilities  are  quickened  and  made  alive; 
in  sanctification  our  carnal  sensibilities  are  crucified  and 
deadened. 

III.     THE  CROSS  TO  BE  BORNE. 

^^If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself, 
and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me.^^  In  following  Christ 
a  man  may  meet  with  scorn  and  ridicule  and  persecution 
and  adversity.  All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus 
ehall  suffer  persecution.  Obeying  God  should  not  be  a 
question  of  expediency  or  of  personal  pleasure  but  a  fixed 
and  settled  purpose  of  the  heart,  though  it  means  suffering, 
and  the  loss  of  all  things.  A  true  Christiai.  will  do  his 
or  her  duty  even  if  they  don^t  feel  like  it.  ^^He  that 
taketh  not  up  the  cross  and  foUoweth  after  Me,  is  not 
worthy  of  Me.^'    No  cross,  no  crown. 


i6o 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


SEEKING  THE  FACE  OF  GOD. 

Text: — When  thou  saidst,  seek  ye  my  facer;  my  heart 
said  unto  thee.  Thy  face.  Lord,  will  I  seelc, — Psa. 
27 :8. 

The  guilty  may  seek  His  favor;  the  obedient  child  of 
God  will  seek  His  face.  We  should  seek  Him,  not  simply 
for  the  loaves  and  fishes — something  He  has — but  for 
what  He  is.  There  is  a  possibility  of  becoming  more 
absorbed  with  an  ^Hf  than  with  Him  who  has  made  ''if* 
possible. 

Many  are  occupied  with  ceremonies  and  doctrines^  which 
may  be  beautiful  and  helpful  in  their  proper  relations, 
but  without  the  presence  of  the  living  Christ  are  simply 
dead  and  wearisomje  formalities;  the  shell  without  a 
kernel.  Dean  Stanley  has  well  said:  ^'The  teachings  of 
Christ  are  not  abstract  doctrines  nor  ceremonial  regula- 
tions.^^ 

We  need  to  come  face  to  face  with  God;  first,  that 
we  know  Him,  and,  second,  that  we  may  know  ourselves. 
N"ot  until  Isaiah  could  say:  ^^Mine  eyes  have  seen  the 
King,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,^'  did  he  understand  his  own 
heart  and  realize  his  moral  uncleanness.  ^'Where  there 
is  no  vision  the  people  perish.^^    (Pro v.  xxix,  18. 

The  countenance  is  a  reflecting  mirror,  wherein  the 
thoughts  and  affections,  otherwise  invisible,  appear.  It 
is  thereby  that  our  inward  emotions  are  made  known  to 
others:  love,  hatred,  desire,  dislike,  joy,  grief,  confidence, 
despair,  courage,  cowardice,  ambition,  contempt,  pride, 
modesty,  cruelty,  compassion  and  the  rest  of  the  affections 
are  all  reflected  in  the  countenance. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


i6i 


To  seek  His  face  means: 

1.  Walking  in  light.  ''Tlaey  shall  walk,  0  Lord,  in  the 
light  of  Thy  countenance/'  (Ps.  Ixxxix,  15.)  The  light 
of  His  countenance  upon  us  implies  His  peculiar  favor  and 
blessing.  "The  face  of  the  Lord  is  against  them  that  do 
evil/' 

2.  Light  in  His  light  "In  Thy  light  shall  we  see 
light/'  (Ps.  xxxvi,  9.)  To  have  the  mind  of  Christ 
and  see  as  He  sees,  we  must  seek  His  face.  "Wherefore 
be  ye  not  unwise,  but  understanding  what  the  will  of  the 
Lord  is."   (Eph.  V,  17.) 

3.  Changed  into  His  image.  "We  all,  with  open  face, 
beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  wen  as  by  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord."  (II  Cor.,  iii,  18.)  That  is  holiness. 
The  spirit  of  the  Lord  changing  us  into  the  same  image, 
while  we  behold  "the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ."  "For  whom  He  did  foreknow.  He  also  did  pre- 
destinate to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  that 
He  might  be  the  first  bom  among  many  brethren."  (Eom. 
viii,  29.) 

4.  Fellowship  and  communion.  "And  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses  face  to  face,  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his 
friend."  (Ex.  xxxiii,  11.)  "If  we  say  that  we  have  fel- 
lowship with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie  and  do  not 
the  truth."  ^'And  truly  our  fellowship  is  with  the  Father 
and  with  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ."    (I  John,  i,  3.) 

5.  Cause  our  face  to  shine.  "Moses  wist  not  that  the 
skin  of  his  face  shone  while  he  talked  with  Him."  (Ex. 
xxxiv,  29.)    The  scowls  and  frowns  and  dark  looks  all 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


disappear  when  we  seek  the  face  of  God.  Beiilah  dwell- 
ers have  the  lines  of  their  countenances  drawn  from  east 
to  west,  instead  of  north  to  south.  ^^A  merry  heart 
maketh  a  cheerful  countenance.^^  'The  help  of  His  coun- 
tenance^^ becomes  '^the  health  of  my  countenance.^^  (Ps. 
xlii,  5,  11.) 

6.  Fullness  of  joy.  ''Thou  shalt  make  me  full  of  joy 
with  thy  countenance.'^  (Acts,  ii,  28.)  ''David  speaketh 
concerning  Him,  I  foresaw  the  Lord  always  before  my 
face  *  *  *  therefore  did  my  heart  rejoice  and  my 
tongue  was  glad.^' 

"As  by  the  light  of  opening  day 
The  stars  are  all  concealed; 

So  earthly  pleasures  fade  away 
When  Jesus  is  revealed.'^ 


ONE  THING. 

One  thing  thou  lackest,   Mark  10:21. 
One  thing  is  needful,    Luke  10 :42. 
One  thing  have  I  desired  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seeTc 
after.   Ps.  27:4. 

One  thing  I  know.   John  9 :25. 

Michael  Angelo  had  never  been  so  great  a  painter  if  his 
love  of  art  had  not  become  so  enthusiastic  that  he  fre- 
quently did  not  take  off  his  garments  to  sleep  for  a  whole 
week.  It  was  his  devotion  to  ''one  thing'^  that  made  him 
world-famed.  It  has  been  said  that  Mr.  Moody  had  as 
his  motto:    'Consecrate  and  then  concentrate/^  which 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


163 


meant  the  recognition  of  the  same  principle.  Said  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  the  gr^at  London  preacher :  "A  man  must  have 
one  pursuit,  and  consecrate  all  his  powers  to  one  effort, 
if  he  would  excel  or  rise  to  eminence  among  his  fellows/' 

1.     ^^ONE  THING  THOU  LACKEST/' 

These  words  were  spoken  by  our  Lord  to  a  young  man 
who  made  his  boast  that  he  kept  all  the  law,  and  applies 
to  every  man  in  his  unrenewed  state.  This  young  ruler 
was  a  moral  man^  and  so  far  as  we  know  his  character 
was  unimpeachable,  but  he  nevertheless  lacked  saving  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ.  Self-righteousness  will  not  avail,  for  we 
read,  ^^All  our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags.^'  Men 
may  boast  of  morality,  good  works,  and  many  commend- 
able traits  and  qualities,  but  without  Christ  as  a  personal 
Savior  enthroned  within,  the  essential  thing  is  ever  lack- 
ing, and  the  soul  lost.  '^Examine  yourselves  whether  ye 
be  in  the  faith;  prove  your  own  selves.  Know  ye  not 
your  own  selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except 
ye  be  reprobates.''   2  Cor.,  13  :5. 

2.     ONE  THING  IS  NEEDFUL. 

These  words  were  spoken  to  Martha,  a  true-hearted 
disciple.  She  had  received  Jesus,  and  was  serving  him  by 
providing  for  His  entertainment.  Still  there  was  ^^one 
thing  needful.'*  She  has  not  sufficient  grace  to  keep  her 
from  being  '^cumbered,"  ^^carefuF'  and  ^'troubled  about 
many  things."  In  other  words,  she  was  not  saved  from 
stewing,  fretting  and  worrying  when  things  were  not 
altogether  to  her  liking.  How  many  Christians  today 
may  be  said  to  be  Martha-fied  in  that  they  have  this 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


inward  unrest.  In  saying  to  Mary  she  had  '^chosen  that 
good  part/^  he  was  not  speaking  of  good  in  opposition  to 
bad;  but  of  two  good  ways  of  pleasing  and  serving  the 
Lord,  Mary  had  chosen  the  better.  Both  were  true- 
hearted  disciples,  but  the  one  was  absorbed  in  the  higher, 
the  other  in  the  lower  of  two  ways  of  honoring  their 
Lord,  Jesus  has  a  deeper  interest  in  our  own  relation  and 
attitude  toward  Him  than  in  our  "much  serving.^^  While 
the  world  and  a  formal  church  places  great  premium  on 
doing ^  Jesus  emphasizes  the  being  as  of  first  importance. 
Martha  needed  the  '^second  blessing'^  to  deliver  her  from 
carnality,  the  root  of  all  undue  anxiety,  and  fretting  and 
impatience.  *^Much  serving'^  so  engrossed  her  she  missed 
her  Lord^s  teaching.  To  become  absorbed  with  work — 
though  it  be  religious  work — ^so  as  not  to  find  time  to  wait 
at  His  feet,  is  to  fail  of  "that  good  part  wliich  shall  not 
be  taken  away.^^ 


3.     ONE  THING  TO  SEEK  AFTER. 

The  lesson  I  would  impress  from  these  words  is  the 
importance  of  definite  seeking.  Praying  in  a  half-hearted, 
indefinite  way  will  never  bring  any  blessing.  A  sinner 
might  pray  for  pardon  in  an  indefinite  manner  for  forty 
years,  but  would  never  receive  pardon.  Finally  he  be- 
comes desperate  and  definitely  sets  about  settling  this 
"one  thing/^  and  soon  obtains  pardon.  Exactly  the  same 
is  true  of  a  believer  seeking  sanctification.  It  requires 
earnest  seeking  and  definite  seeking  of  the  '^one  thing'' 
to  find  either  pardon  or  cleansing.  You  cannot  seek  God 
and  at  the  same  time  seek  the  emoluments  of  men. 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


4.         ^'ONE  THING  I  know/' 

This  was  the  testimony  of  the  blind  man  to  whom 
Jesns  had  restored  his  sight.  He  might  not  be  able  to  ex- 
plain the  science  or  philosophy  of  his  experience^  but  he 
positively  knew  ^^one  thing/^  that  whereas  he  had  been 
blind  he  could  now  see.  So  we  may  know  when  our  sins 
are  pardoned,  because  ^^the  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness 
with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God.^^  And 
in  like  manner  we  know  wh^n^  we  are  sanctified.  ^Tor  by 
one  offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are 
sanctified ;  whereof  the  Holy  Ghost  also  is  a  witness  to  us.^^ 
(Heb.  10:14,  15.)  Thank  God  for  a  '^know-so'^  salva- 
tion. 


LEPROSY  A  TYPE  OF  SIN. 

Text: — ''And,  behold,  there  came  a  leper  and  wor- 
shipped Him,  saying.  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make 
me  clean.  And  Jesus  put  forth  his  hand,  and  touched  him, 
saying,  I  will;  be  thou  clean.  And  immediately  his  leprosy 
was  cleansed.   Matt.  8:2-3. 

Leprosy  is  one  of  the  Bible's  representatives  of  the 
intense  malignity  and  defilement  of  the  mortal  malady 
that  has  attacked  you  and  me,  namely.  Sin. 

Leprosy  and  sin  are  analogous,  viz, : 

1.  All  classes  alike  subject  to  it. 

2.  Is  of  small  beginning. 

3.  Loathsome — ^repulsive. 

4.  Incurable  by  human  skill  and  human  agencies. 

5.  Contagious — diffusive. 


i66 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


6.  Eesults  in  separation  and  banishment 

7.  Terminates  in  death. 

Leprosy  is  especially  a  type  of  inbred  sin  because: 

1.  It  is  transmitted  to  posterity — hereditary. 

2.  It  is  a  constitutional  disease — a  condition^,  not  an 
act. 

3.  It  was  never  pardoned — but  cleansed  away. 

a.  This  man,  by  his  verj-  earnest  petition,  recognized 
and  acknowledged  his  condition.  That  is  the  first  step 
toward  the  kingdom.  ^^He  that  covereth  liis  sins  shall  not 
prosper:  but  whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketli  them  shall 
have  mercy. '^If  we  confess  our  sins  He  is  faithful  and 
just  to  forgive  them.^^ 

b.  He  had  unquestioning  and  unwavering  faith  in  the 
power  and  ability  of  Jesus  to  heal  him,  saying,  ^^Thou 
canst.^'  ^'Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  Him: 
for  he  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  He  is,  and 
that  He  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently  seek  Him.^^ 
Salvation  must  be  by  faith  alone,  that  it  may  be  by  grace 
alone. 

c.  He  manifested  proper  humility.  Luke  says  he  ^^fell 
on  his  face,^^  (Luke  5:12.)  ^'^God  resisteth  the  proud, 
but  giveth  grace  imto  the  humble.'^  The  way  up  is  down. 
He  ^'stooped  to  conquer,  and  he  conquered  by  stooping.'^ 
By  giving  in  to  God  we  vdn, 

d.  ^Tmmediately  his  leprosy  was  cleansed.^^  The  cure 
was  instantaneous.  So  it  is  in  pardon.  With  one  word — 
one  touch —  all  the  guilt  is  swept  away.  In  like  manner 
the  deliverance  from  inbred  sin  is  instantaneous.  A  grad- 
atim  destruction  of  the  '''old  man''  is  as  unreasonable  as 
it  is  imscriptural.    There  is  a  gradual  approach  to  the 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


167 


blessing  so  far  as  the  human  side  of  sanctification  ia 
concerned^  but  when  the  consecration  is  entire  and  faith 
perfect,  the  work  of  cleansing  is  instantaneously,  divinely 
inwrought. 

^The  Blood  cleanseth^^  is  always  in  the  present  tense. 


BEYOND  THE  SECOND  VEIL. 

Text:  Heb.  10:19-22. 

The  service  and  worship  of  God  as  instituted  and  indi- 
cated by  the  ceremonial  law  and  Levitical  priesthood  con- 
sisted in  t3^pes  and  shadows  ^^of  good  things  to  come/^  says 
the  Apostle  (Heb.  10:1.)  The  text  at  once  introduces  us 
to  some  of  these  ^^good  things/^ 

Whereas  the  sacrifices  under  the  law  failed  in  making 
the  comers  thereto  perfect,  and  the  entrance  into  the 
holiest  was  only  possible  by  dead  sacrifices^  Christ  by  His 
sacrificial  offering  has  consecrated  and  opened  up  a  new 
and  living  way — ^'Because  the  living  and  life-giving  Savior 
is  that  way/^  While  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  could 
not  take  away  sin,  the  blood  of  Jesus  can — ^hence 
we  come  in  confidence  and  *^^full  assurance  of  faith,'^  having 
our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience  and  so  have 
boldness  or  liberty  to  enter  into  the  holiest. 

The  steps  for  entering  the  holiest  by  the  high  priest 
doubtless  have  their  spiritual  significance,  and  will  indi- 
cate to  us  the  manner  of  approach  and  entrance  upon 
the  experience  signified  by  ^^the  holiest.'^ 

The  T'abemacle  was  the  sacred  tent  where  man  miet  6o3 


SERMON  0UTLIXE5. 


in  close  commTinion^  and  was  built  after  mo  del  given  to 
Moses  by  Jehovah.  It  was  used  in  the  exodus,  on  the 
journey  to  Canaan,  and  in  the  Promised  Land  until  Sol- 
omon built  the  temple  on  Zion,  after  which  it  is  mentioned 
no  more.  Every  Bible  reader  knows  that  this  Tabernacle 
was  divided  into  two  rooms  called  the  holy  place  and  most 
holy  place,  or  the  "''lioly  of  holies.'^ 

The  first  is  typical  of  the  regenerated  life,  as  here  was 
foimd  the  candle-stick  and  shew-bread  which  signifies 
light  and  life ;  but  if  the  oil  was  not  daily  replenished  the 
lights  would  go  out,  and  the  bread  became  stale  if  not 
constantly  renewed.  Then  there  was  the  veil  between  tke 
worshipper  and  his  God, 

Before  entering  the  holiest  the  high  priest  must: 

1.  Be  washed  with  water.  Lev.  8  :6 ;  Ex.  29  :4.  This 
signifies  a  clean  outward  life. 

2.  He  must  put  on  "lioly  garments''  called  ^'garments 
to  consecrate  him/'  Ex.  2S:3-4.  This  was  made  of  pure 
white  linen.  Xo  mixture  of  v-ool  was  allowed,  Ezek.  44: 
IT-IS.  Wool  would  cause  *''sweaf'  and  "sweat"'  is  the 
badge  of  bondage.  How  many  whose  linen  is  mixed  with 
the  ^'woor*'  of  carnality,  causing  •'sweat^''  in  the  discharge 
of  what  they  call  ^'doing  their  duty.''  Entire  consecra- 
tion puts  an  end  to  ^^'sweat,''  as  duty  becomes  a  deUght, 
and  obedience  a  luxury.  Tlie  veil  was  rent  when  Jesus 
died.  Matt.  27:51. 

3.  The  application  of  blood  on  the  right  ear,  thumb 
and  great  toe,  Ex.  29:20;  Lev.  8:23.  Speaking  of  this 
application  of  the  blood,  Paul  says,  ^^purged  with  blood,''' 
Heb.  9:22.  Consecration  is  not  sanctification.  Consecra- 
tion is  the  human  side  while  the  cleansing  by  the  Blood 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


169 


is  the  Divine  side  of  sanctification.  "The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin"  1  Jno.  1 :7. 

4.  Subsequent  to  the  blood  applied  was  the  anointing 
oil,  Ex.  29:7-21;  Lev.  8:12.  The  oil  signifies  the  anoint- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  heart  being  cleansed  the 
Comforter  takes  up  His  abode,  in  His  pentecostal  fullness 
and  power. 

In  the  Holiest  of  all  there  is : 

1.  The  golden  censer — prayer  and  praise. 

2.  The  Divine  presence  as  signified  by  ^Hhe  Ark  of  the 
Covenant.^^ 

3.  Hidden  manna — preserved,  heavenly  diet — ^imported 
supplies. 

4.  Fruitfulness — as  signified  by  Aaron^s  rod;  before 
being  placed  there  it  was  just  a  dry  stick. 

5.  The  ineffable  glory — shadowing  the  mercy  seat. 

In  the  holiest  of  all  there  was:  safety — divine  pro- 
tection ;  communion,  Ex.  25  :22 ;  quietness — a  hidden  life 
— rest — satisfaction — blessing  for  others.  Lev.  9  :22 :23 
— fullness  of  joy.  Lev.  9:24 — The  badge  of  holiness  on 
forehead,  Ex.  28:26-38 — bell  and  pomegranate,  Ex.  28: 
34-35. 

The  bell  signifying  profession. 
Pomegranate  signifying  fruit — ^life. 


170  SERMON  OUTLINES. 

ESSENTIAL  TRUTH. 

Text: — ''Continue  in  faith  and  charity  and  holiness/* 
All  truth  is  essential  in  a  relative  sense,  but  all  truth 
is  not  directly  essential  to  salvation.  Some  lines  of  truth, 
must  be  recognized  as  the  conditions  of  salvation,  while 
other  lines  of  truth  have  rather  to  do  with  the  results 
of  salvation.  The  text  suggests  three  fundamental  truths 
which  are  imperative  and  directly  essential  to  salvation, 
neither  of  which  can  be  omitted  and  the  soul  be  saved. 
They  are  faith,  charity  and  holiness.  This  text  implies 
the  possibility  of  having  faith,  charity  and  holiness  in  life ; 
more,  it  implies  that  some  one  has  come  into  possession 
of  these  graces;  otherwise  they  could  not  be  admonished 
or  exhorted  to  continue  in  the  same. 

I.  FAITH. 

Faith  is  imperative.  ^^Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to 
please  Him.^'  (Heb.  11:6.)  "He  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned.''   Mark  16 :16. 

Faith  means  the  renunciation  of  self,  and  dependence 
upon  Christ  alone  as  the  source  of  righteousness  and  th^ 
hope  of  acceptance  with  God. 

Forsaking 

All 

I 

Take 
Him. 

Faith  is  simply  believing  what  God  has  said,  and  be- 
lieving it  because  God  said  it,  and  thus  appropriate  His 
Word  to  our.  own  hearts.   It  has  greatly  helped  me  to  re- 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


171 


member  that  His  Word  is  a  creative  Word.  When  God 
said,  *'Let  there  be  light/^  "there  was  light/*  His  Word 
made  it  so.   Faith  must  rest  on  the  Word  of  God. 

II.  CHARITY. 

Charity  is  divine  love — ^the  very  essence  of  religion. 
^'Though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and 
though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity, 
it  profiteth  me  nothing.'*  A  person  might  die  a  martyr 
in  his  devotion  and  conviction  to  what  he  regarded  re- 
ligion, if  he  "have  not  charity,  it  profiteth  him  nothing.** 
We  hear  it  said,  it  does  not  matter  so  much  what  is  believed 
if  the  individual  is  but  sincere:  but  the  Scriptures  teach 
that  a  man  may  believe  a  lie  and  be  damned,  (2  Thes. 
2:10-11.)  In  believing  the  truth,  "the  love  of  God  is 
shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost.**  "He  that 
loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God;  for  God  is  love.  He  that 
dwelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him/* 
In  the  Greek  language  there  are  two  words  for  love:  the 
word  Philia,  signifying  human  love;  the  word  Agape,  sig- 
nifying divine  love.  Charity  refers  to  the  latter.  PJiilia, 
or  human  love,  is  fickle  and  subject  to  circumstances. 
Agape,  or  divine  love,  will  pray  for  an  enemy,  and  with 
a  rugged  tree  as  a  dying  couch,  will  say,  "Father,  forgive 
them.** 

III.  HOLINESS. 

This,  too,  is  imperative,  for  we  read,  "follow  peace  with 
all  men,  and  holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord.**  Holiness  is  the  condition  and  fitness  for 
seeing  God.  God  is  holy,  and  heaven  is  holy,  and  the 
angels  are  holy,  hence  we  must  be  holy  if  we  Vould  enter 


172 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


there.  Holiness  is  freedom  from  sin.  God  has  com- 
manded "US  to  be  holy,  called  us  to  be  holy,  chosen  ns  to  be 
holy,  chastised  ns  that  we  should  be  holy  and  m'ade  the 
provision  ample  for  us  to  be  holy,  hence  we  are  left  without 
excuse  for  not  being  holy.  *^If  we  walk  in  the  light  .  .  . 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleansetli  us  from  all 
sin.^^  Holiness  is  pure  love  in  a  pure  heart.  ITo  man 
can  make  an  honest  pretense  to  love  God,  who  is  the  essence 
and  embodiment  of  holiness,  and  be  averse  or  antagonistic 
to  holiness. 

Faith  is  the  passport  to  love,  love  is  the  passport  to  holi- 
ness, and  holiness  is  the  passport  to  heaven.  Neither  can 
be  neglected  without  peril  to  the  soul. 


JESUS  CHRIST— THE  GOD-MAN. 

Text^ — ]Vhat  think  ye  of  Christ?    Whose  son  is  He? — 
Matt.  22 :42. 

If  we  do  not  think  right  toward  him  we  will  not  know 
how  to  act  right  toward  Him,.  As  some  one  has  said, 
^'Sow  a  thought,  and  reap  a  desire;  sow  desire  and  reap 
an  act;  sow  an  act  and  reap  a  habit;  sow  a  habit  and  reap 
a;  character;  sow  a  character  and  reap  destiny.^'  Thought 
was  the  foundation  of  character  and  destiny.  ^'For  as  he 
thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he.''  Prov.  23 :7.  -  ^'The  Lord 
knoweth  the  thoughts  of  man.''  ^^The  thoughts  of  the 
wicked  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord."  Prov.  15:26. 
Hence,  He  requires  that  ^^the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and 
the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts."  There  is  a  maxim  that 
says,  ^^You  cannot  hang  a  man  for  his  thoughts."  That, 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


perhaps^  is  true;  but  we  need^,  nevertheless;,  to  remember 
that  a  man  may  be  damned  for  his  thoughts.  "For  the 
Lord  searcheth  all  hearts^  and  understandeth  all  the  im- 
aginations of  the  thoughts/^  I  Chron.  28  :9.  Conduct  is 
but  the  fruit  of  your  thoughts.  It  is  evident  that  no*  man 
thinks  right  of  Christ  who  does  not  receive  Him  as  a  per- 
sonal Savior  and  gladly  obey  Himi 

It  may  help  us  to  right  thinking  and  right  conclusions 
to  know  what  they  thought  of  Him  who  had  personally 
known  Him.  So  we  will  ask  both  His  friends  and  his 
enemies  to  bear  witness  to  Him. 

HIS  ENEMIES. 

Pilate :  He  heard  the  charges  against  Him  and  himself 
examined  Him^  and  then  said:  ''I  find  no  fault  in  this 
man.''    Luke,  23:4. 

Pilate* s  Wife:  She  sent  a  message  to  her  husband, 
while  Christ  was  on  trial,  saying:  ''Have  thou  nothing 
to  do  with  that  just  man.''  Matt.  27:19.  She  believed 
Him  to  be  a  just  man. 

Judas  Iscariot:  After  having  associated  with  Jesus 
three  years  he  betrayed  Him  for  ^'thirty  pieces  of  silver.^' 
But  hear  his  testimony:  "I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have 
betrayed  the  innocent  blood."   Matt.  27 :4. 

The  Centurion :  He  had  charge  of  the  Roman  soldiers 
who  executed  Him,  hear  him:  "Truly  this  was  the  Son 
of  God."    Matt.  27:54. 

Devils:  They  recognized  Him  and  bore  testimony  to 
His  divinity,  saying:  ^'Jesus,  thou  Son  of  God;  art  thou 
come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the  time."    Matt.8 :29. 


174 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


HIS  FRIENDS. 

John  the  Baptist:  ^'^Behold  tlie  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.^^    John  1:29. 

Peter:  "Thou  art  the  Christy  the  Son  of  the  living 
God.^'    Matt.  10:16. 

Thomas :    *'My  Lord  and  my  God.''  John  20 :28. 

Angels:  "Unto  yon  is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of 
David  a  Savior^  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.''   Lnke  2 :11. 

God  the  Father:  "And  lo  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased." 
Matt  3:17. 

Surely  we  have  heard  enough  witnesses — whose  tes- 
timony cannot  be  impeached — to  arrive  at  some  conclusion. 
*^Great  is  the  mystery  *  *  *  Q^g^  manifest  in 
the  flesh/'  and  to  this  both  His  friends  and  His  foes  bore 
witness.  Among  a  certain  class  we  hear  it  said:  "Christ 
was  a  good  man,  but  not  divine."  This  is  an  absurdity 
and  a  contradiction  of  terms.  If  Christ  was  not  divine, 
then  He  was  a  deceiver  and  impostor^  representing  Him- 
self to  be  what  He  was  not.  Surely  such  a  one  could  not 
be  termed  a  good  man.   But  He  was  the  Son  of  God. 

The  evidence  of  His  divinity  was  m.anifest  in  His  sinless 
life  and  spotless  character.  He  could  challenge  even  His 
foes  to  convince  Him  of  sin.  Among  all  the  infidels  in 
these  eighteen  hundred  years,  not  one  has  ever  found  a 
flaw  in  His  character.  His  miracles — stilling  the  tempest, 
raising  the  dead,  curing  the  incurables,  etc.,  all  bear  tes- 
timony to  His  divinity.  His  love  and  death  for  His  ene- 
mies. His  victory  over  death,  and  the  grave  are  all  in  evi- 
dence of  His  divinity.  He  was  God;  He  was  man.  K  He 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


175 


was  not  human,  then  He  can  not  be  touched  with  the 
feeling  of  our  infirmities.  But  He  was  the  God-man. 
The  evidences  of  His  humanity  are  seen  in  that  He  was 
born  as  any  other  child ;  was  partaker  of  flesh  and  blood ; 
subject  to  His  parents;  became  weary — John  4:6.  Felt 
the  pangs  of  sorrow. — John  11:35.  Became  hungry  and 
thirsty. — Matt.  4 :2 ;  John  4 :7.  He  knew  what  it  was  to 
be  lonely  and  forsaken. — John  6 :67;  Matt.  8 :20.  ^^Was  in 
all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.^^ 


THE  TEST  OF  GENUINE  RELIGION. 

Text:.  The  God  that  answereth  by  fire,  let  Him  he 
God.— I.  Kings  18:24. 

1.   The  source  of  trouble. 

This  scripture  is  connected  with  a  most  critical  period 
in  the  history  of  Israel — particularly  Samaria^s  three 
and  a  half  year's  drouth  and  subsequent  calamity. 
The  cause  of  their  trouble  was  that  they  had  "^forsaken 
the  commandments  of  the  Lord/^  ^^and  went  and  served 
Baal,  and  worshipped  him.''  Sin  invariably  brings 
trouble  and  calamity,  and  the  curse  of  God.  ''God  is 
not  mocked:  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he 
also  reap."  God  ^Svill  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds.  *  *  Unto  th-em  that  are  contentious, 
and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  imrighteousness, 
indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  anguish,  upon 
every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil,  of  the  Jew  first;  and 
also  of  the  Gentile.'^ 


176 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


2.  THE  FAITH  OP  ELIJAH. 

We  are  eager  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  the  man  who 
can,  by  his  prayers,  lock  up  the  heavens  so  there  is  no 
dew  or  rain  for  the  space  of  three  and  one-half  years, 
and  bring  down  the  fire  of  God,  and  again  unlock  the 
heavens  so  that  there  is  an  abundance  of  rain.  Elijah 
was  one  of  the  most  rugged  characters  in  Hebrew  history. 
He  was  utterly  separated  from  the  people  and  entirely 
devoted  to  God;  was  uncompromising;  yielded  unfalter- 
ing obedience,  was  resolute  and  earnest;  dared  to  stand 
alone;  and  was  strong  in  faith.  He  not  only  trusted  in 
God  but  God  trusted  him. 

3.  The  supreme  test. 

^The  God  that  answereth.^^  The  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
does  not  consist  in  forms  and  ceremonies  and  mere  out- 
ward morality.  There  must  still  be  the  manifestation 
of  something  supernatural — the  answer  of  God.  We  are 
told  not  to  believe  every  spirit.  The  touchstone  whereby 
the  genuine  may  be  distinguished  from  the  counterfeit; 
the  false  from  the  true,  is  by  the  power  of  the  Gospel 
that  saves  men  from  sin.  The  salvation  of  the  Son  of 
God  is  the  only  thing  in  all  the  world  that  can  save  men 
from  sin,  and  if  a  man  is  not  saved  from  sinning  he  is 
not  saved  at  all.  A  sinning  religion  is  the  deviPs  religion, 
and  is  a  counterfeit,  no  matter  what  the  pretenses  or 
ritualism  may  be.  Does  the  peculiar  tenet  or  the  religion 
you  profess  or  believe  in,  save  you  from  sin?  If  not,  it 
is  a  farce  and  a  delusion.  His  name  is  called  Jesus  be- 
cause He  saves  his  people  from  (not  in)  their  sins. 
'^He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil.     *     *  Who- 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


177 


soever  is  bom  of  God  doth  not  commiit  sin.  *  * 
In  this  the  children  of  God  are  manifest  and  the  children 
of  the  devil/'  This  is  the  dividing  line — the  children  of 
the  devil  commit  sin,  and  the  children  of  God  do  not 
commit  sin. 
4.    The  fire. 

We  still  have  the  promise  of  the  answer  by  fire.  ^^He 
shall  baptize  you  mth  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire.'' 
The  fire  signifies  refining  and  purification — ^never  pardon 
— and  comes  to  God's  people  as  a  second  experience,  as  on 
Pentecost.  Eire  penetrates,  transforms,  attracts,  con- 
sumes, gives  light,  welds,  is  a  source  of  power,  and  heat, 
and  sets  fire,  There  is  something  intense  about  fire,  and 
is  vastly  different  to  much  of  the  cold,  fireless  churchianity 
of  the  day.  Not  painted  fire,  nor  wildfire,  but  Holy  Ghost 
fire  which  comes  from  heaven;  this  is  an  actual  necessity — 
the  imperative  need  and  glorious  privilege  of  all  Chris- 
tians. 


REDEEMED  FROM  THE  CURSE  OF  THE  LAW. 

Text:  Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us;  for  it  is  written.  Cursed 
is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree;  that  the  blessing  of 
Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gentiles  through  Jesus 
Christ;  that  we  might  receive  the  promise  of  the  Spirit 
through  faith.— Gal  3 :  13-14. 

I.     THE  CURSE  OF  THE  LAW. 

The  curse  is: — 

1.    Universal:    Since  ^^all  have  sinned  and  come  short 


178 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


of  the  glory  of  God/'  (Eom.  3:23)  ''The  Scripture  has 
concluded  all  under  sin/^   *^There  is  no  difference/^ 

2.  It  is  just:  Because  God  is  just^  and  the  law  is 
just,  and  our  sin  is  without  excuse. 

3.  It  is  present :  Tlie  death  warrant  has  already  beea 
issued.  The  man  in  sin  ^'Is  condemned  already.^^ — John 
3  :18. 

4.  It  is  fearful:  It  includes  physical,  spiritual  and 
eternal  death.  ''It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  living  God.^' — Heb.  10  :31.  Our  only  hope 
of  escape  from  the  curse  of  the  law  we  have  transgressed, 
is  in  Christ  as  our  substitute.  The  law  pronounces  curses, 
but  the  Gospel  offers  blessing: 

II.     THE  BLESSING  OF  ABRAHAM. 

1.  It  is  Justification  ly  faith:  ''Abraham  believed 
God  and  it  was  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness.^^  He 
was  accepted  of  God  and  accounted  righteous,  not  because 
of  his  obedience  to  the  law,  but  because  of  his  faith. 
"To  him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  Him  that 
justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteous- 
ness.^^ (Eom.  4:5.)  "Therefore  we  conclude  that  a  man  is 
"justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law.^^  (Eom. 
3:28.) 

2.  It  is  ''come  on  the  Gentiles/'  Thusj  we  are  includ- 
ed. "It  was  not  written  for  his  sake  alone,  that  it  was 
imputed  to  him;  but  for  us  also,  to  whom  it  shall  be 
Imputed,  if  we  believe  on  Him.^^  (Eom.  4:23-24.) 
"Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.^^ 
(Eev.  22:17.) 

3.  Justification  is  instantaneous^ ,    The  curse  is  re* 


SERMON  OUTLINES. 


179 


mored  in  a  single  moment.  In  the  language  of  the 
poet : — 

*^The  moment  a  sinner  believes, 
And  trusts  in  his  crucified  God, 

His  pardon  at  once  he  receives, 

Salvation  in  full  through  His  blood.^^ 

hi.     THE  PROMISE  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

1.  To  tvhom  given.  To  believers  only.  Christ  said, 
"The  Spirit  of  truth  whom  the  world  cannot  receive.''^ 
(John  14:17.)  Christ  is  the  gift  of  God  to  the  world; 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  gift  of  God  to  the  Church  Hence 
the  receiving  of  this  promise  is  a  second  experience. 
"This  is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel; 
and  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will 
pour  out  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh.^^   (Acts  2 :1G-17.) 

2.  What  it  means.  Peter  referring  to  Pentecost  said 
it  was  the  '^purifying  their  hearts  by  faith .^^  (xlcts  15 : 8, 
9.)  And  again  we  read.  "Ye  shall  receive  power,  after 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you;  and  ye  shall  be 
witnesses  unto  Me.^^  Negatively  stated  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  means  purity,  and  the  positive  side  means 
power.  The  failure  of  many  is  due  to  th»e  fact  that  they 
want  power  without  purity. 

3.  IIovj  obtained.  By  obedient  faith.  To  the  dis- 
ciples it  was  said,  "Tarry  until.^'  "God  gave  them  the 
like  gift.'^  The  Holy  Spirit  must  be  received  as  a  "gift.^^ 
^'If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto 
your  children;  how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly 
Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him.''  ^*Ee- 
ceive  the  pro;riise  of  the  Spirit  through  faith.'' 


"FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


HUNGERING  AND  THIRSTING. 

'^Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled/^ — Matt,  6. 

'^'Hunger^^  and  *^thirsf^  pre-snppose  a  spiritual  birth. 
Being  ^'born  again^^  is  the  antecedent  of  spiritual  hunger 
Adam  Clarke,  as  other  commentators,  says  this  hunger 
is  none  other  than  a  ^^desire  to  be  holy/^  and  this  *^right- 
eousness^^  signifying  ^''the  full  salvation  of  God.^'  Hun- 
ger is  an  evidence  of  life,  and  a  good  appetite  and  relish 
for  spiritual  things  an  evidence  of  a  healthful  condition. 
The  condition  for  filling  is  the  emptying  and  purifying 
process.  The  great  reason  all  are  not  filled  is  because 
they  do  not  consent  to  be  emptied  first.   "Shall  be  filled  I'^ 

ASK,  AND  RECEIVE. 

**Ask^  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may  be  full.^' 
—John  16  :2i. 

Thrice,  within  the  very  shadow  of  the  cross,  the 
Savior  gave  expression  to  this  yearning  of  His  heart 
that  the  disciple  should  have  fullness  of  joy.  (John  xv, 
11;  John  xvi,  2-i;  John  xvii,  13.)  All  Christians  have  a 
measure  of  joy ;  but  all  Christians  do  not  have  the  fullness 
of  joy.  This  is  one  distinction  between  justification  and 
sanctification.  *^Eejoice  in  the  Lord  alway.'^  N"ot  spas- 
modic and  sporadic  joy,  but  constant  and  abiding  full- 
ness of  joy  is  the  privilege  of  the  believer.  "Joy  un- 
speakable and  full  of  glory .^^  (i  Peter  i,  8.)  "The  joy 
of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.'^  (Neh.  viii,  10.)  "I  will  yet 
for  this  b-e  enquired  of.^^    (Exek.  xxxvi,  37.) 

i8o 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


i8i 


WITH  THE  SPIRIT. 

'^And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost/'— 
Acts  ii,  4. 

A  statement  concerning  one  hundred  and  twenty 
Christians  who  lived  a  long  time  ago,  the  r-esult  of  which 
was  three  thousand  conversions  in  one  day.  Some  have 
supposed  that  it  required  ten  days  to  get  ^'fiUed.^^  It 
took  them  ten  days  to  become  thoroughly  emptied  of 
self,  when,  lo,  the  Spirit  cleansed  and  filled  them  ^^sud- 
denly^'  and  instantaneously.  ^^The  Lord,  whom,  ye  seek, 
shall  suddenly  come  to  His  temple.^^  (Mai.  iii,  i.)  First. 
They  were  obedient  in  going  and  tarrying  at  Jerusalem. 
Second.  They  were  united,  of  one  mind  and  one  accord. 
Third.  They  were  in  one  place.  Fourth.  They  were  ex- 
pectant. ^^Suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from  heaven.^' 
(Acts  ii,  2.) 

ABOVE  MEASURE. 

'^God  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by  measure.^' — John  iii,  34. 

So  every  one  may  have  according  to  his  capacity  and 
need.  Great  difficulties  and  trials  simply  open  up  ave- 
nues for  a  larger  supply  and  manifestations  of  the  Spirit, 
since  God  has  said,  ^^As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength 
bo.^'  (Deut.  xxxiii,  25.)  Great  trials  make  way  for  great 
grace.  The  idea  that  a  soul  can  only  hold  out  and 
triumph  under  favorable  circumstances  and  pleasing  en- 
vironments is  utterly  false.  ^^As  ye  are  partakers  of  the 
sufferings,  so  shall  ye  be  also  of  the  consolation.^^  (2  Cor. 
1,  7.)  ^'Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence 
of  mine  enemies:  Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil:  my 
cup  runneth  over.^^    (Ps.  xxiii,  5.) 


l82 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


TILLED. 

^•:Be  filled  with  the  Spirit/^— Eph.  v,  18. 

This  is  the  privilege  and  duty  of  every  believer.  God^s 
'TBe^^  is  imperative^  and  must  not  be  regarded  as  op- 
tional. Xo  excuse  can  be  allowed  for  a  lack  of  the 
fullness  of  the  Spirit  since  ^'tlie  promise  is  unto  you^.  . . . 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.^^  (Acts  ii, 
39.)  This  filling  marks  a  distinct  crisis  or  epoch  in  the 
life  of  all  who  receive  it.  It  is  an  experience  subsequent 
to  regeneration.  Th-e  Spirit  is  never  promised  nor  given 
to  an  unregenerated  heart.  "The  Spirit  of  truth,  whom 
the  world  can  not  receive.'^  (John  xiv,  17.) 

BLESSINGS  POURED  OUT. 

*^ring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse,  and 
prove  Me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  if  I 
will  not  open  you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  j'ou 
out  (marg.  empty  out)  a  blessing  that  there  shall  not  be 
room  enough  to  receive  it.'^ — Mai.  iii,  10. 

Tithing  is  simply  discharging  our  financial  obligation 
to  God.  This  is  God's  own  method  for  meeting  all  ex- 
penses of  the  Church  He  Himself  instituted.  Wliere 
tithing  is  faithfully  observed,  there  is  no  occasion  for 
adopting  questionable,  claptrap  methods  of  money  rais- 
ing. Every  financial  difficulty  is  solved,  the  financial 
burden  equalized,  as  all  pay  alike,  and  great  blessing  and 
prosperity — both  spiritual  and  temporal — is  at  once  as- 
sured. ^*Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  you:  good  measure, 
pressed  do^vn,  and  shaken  together,  and  running  over,** 
(Luke  vi.  38.) 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


183 


FULL  OF  SAP. 

'The  trees  of  the  Lord  are  full  of  sap." — Ps.  civ.  16. 

The  flowing  sap  is  ever  an  evidence  of  life^  and  de- 
nates  a  healthful,  thrifty  condition.  According  to  the 
parable  of  the  sower  and  the  seed,  some  Christians  die 
spiritually  for  want  of  moisture.  (Luke  viii,  6.)  There 
is  a  vast  difference  between  a  dry,  formal  religion  and 
a  religion  full  of  sap;  an  experience  that  has  some  juice 
and  gravy  to  it.  What  the  sap  is  to  a  tree  the  fullness 
of  the  Spirit  is  to  the  Christian.  ^To  give  unto  them 
beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  the  gar- 
ments of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness;  that  they 
might  be  called  trees  of  righteousness.^^    (Isaiah  Ixi,  3.) 

FULL  OF  LIGHT. 

'The  light  of  the  body  is  the  eye;  if  therefore  thine 
eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  light.'^ — 
Matt,  vi,  22. 

Light  is  a  synonym  of  knowledge.  The  ''single  eye'^ 
denotes  singleness  of  purpose — seeking  only  the  glory  of 
God.  Spiritual  knowledge  is  conditioned  upon  obedi- 
ence. "If  any  man  will  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of 
the  doctrine.^^  (John  vii.  17.)  "God  is  light,  and  in  Him 
is  no  darkness  at  all.  If  we  say  we  have  fellowship  with 
Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth.^' 
(John  i,  5,  6.)  "Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous.^^  (Ps. 
xcvii,  II.)  "If  we  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in  the  light, 
we  have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.^'  (i  John 
i,  7.)  "Truly  the  light  is  sweet.''  (Eccl.  xi,  7.)  "The 
path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.''  (Prov.  iv,  18.) 


i84 


FULLNESS  OP  JESUS. 


PILLED  WITH  god's  FULLNESS. 

^^And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth 
knowledge^  that  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness 
of  God.'*'— Eph.  iii,  19. 

Being  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God  is  sharply 
conditioned  upon  first  knowing  ^'the  love  of  Christ/' 
which  itself  passeth  all  human  knowledge,  and  can  only 
be  known  as  revealed  by  the  Spirit.  '^That  ye  might 
be  filled.'^  Of  what  is  God  full?  He  is  full" of  light, 
life,  joy,  power,  glory,  etc.,  and  we  shall  be  filled  with 
exactly  the  same.  Surely  this  will  exclude  everything 
else.  A  cup  may  be  just  as  certainly  filled,  and  filled 
with  exactly  the  same  water  as  is  found  in  the  ocean; 
while  there  is  no  difference  in  the  quality,  there  is  a 
world  of  difference  in  the  quantity. 

FILLED  BY  FAITH. 

^^The  God  of  hope  fill  you  with  all  joy  and  peace  in 
believing.^' — Eom.  xv,  13. 

Peace  and  joy  come  by  believing.  WTiere  faith  is 
triumphant,  joy  is  full,  and  peace  passeth  understand- 
ing. Doubt  brings  unrest  and  consequent  despondency 
and  gloom.  ^•'Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace, 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee:  because  he  trusteth  in 
Thee.^^  (Isaiah  xxri,  3.)  ^^n  whom,  though  now  ye  see 
Him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory .^^  (1  Peter  i,  8.)  '^According  to  your 
faith  be  it  unto  you.^^  (Matt,  ix,  29.)  We  can  not  know 
peace  and  joy  by  trying  to  feel  them — ^but  by  believing 
God. 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


FULL  OF  POWER. 

^^But  truly  I  am  full  of  power  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord/' — Micah  iii^  8. 

A  fullness  of  the  Spirit  is  the  Divine  order  and  secret 
of  power.  The  Pentecostal  blessing  first  purifies  (Acts 
XV,  S,  9,),  and  then  empowers  for  service.  Without  heart- 
purity  there  can  be  no  genuine  Pentecostal  power.  It 
is  power,  first,  to  cease  from  all  sin ;  second,  power  to 
endure  patiently  and  victoriously,  as  ^^seeing  Him  that 
is  invisible/^  amid  temptation  and  trial;  third,  power 
to  execute  and  perform  the  whole  will  of  God.  It 
requires  more  power  to  keep  sweet  and  patient  under 
trial  than  to  do  some  powerful  shouting  during  big  meet- 
ings. ^^But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  come  upon  you.'^    (Acts  i,  8.) 

FRUITS  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

^^Being  filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteousness,  which 
are  by  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glory  and  praise  of  God.^^ — 
Phil,  i,  11. 

There  is  a  difference  between  works  and  fruit.  Many 
have  good  works,  who,  nevertheless,  have  not  the  Spirit, 
and  so  necessarily  are  destitute  of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 
Works  may  be  the  result  of  mere  human  effort,  while 
fruit  is  spontaneous — ^the  result  of  spiritual  life.  ^^The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance,^' 
(Gal.  V,  22.)  '^Herein  is  my  Fath-er  glorified  that  ye 
bear  much  fruit:  so  shall  ye  be  My  disciples.'^  (John 
XV,  8.)  "Every  branch  in  Me  that  beareth  not  fruity  He 
taketh  away.''    (John  xv,  2.) 


i86 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


FULL  OF  GOODNESS. 

''Ye  also  are  full  of  goodness/^ — Eom.  xv,  14. 

While  '^there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one,'* 
in  his  unrenewed  and  unregenerate  state,  it  is  also  true 
that  Jesus  Christ  can  tako  a  bad  miaji  and  make  a  good 
man  out  of  him.  We  read,  Luie  xxiii,  50;  Joseph. . . . 
was  a  good  man;^^  and  Acts  xi,  24,  we  read  of  Barnabas  : 
'^He  was  a  good  man.^'  So,  according  to  these  Scrip* 
tures,  at  least  two  good  men  have  lived  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  And  if  these  men  could  be  made  into  good 
men,  then,  by  the  grace  of  God,  others  may.  '^A  good 
man  shew-eth  favor.^'  (Ps.  cxii,  5.)  Surely  Jesus  can 
not  say  ^'Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant^' 
(Matt.  XXV,  21),  if  we  have  not  been  good.  Thank  God 
for  the  transforming  power  of  grace! 

FILLED  WITH  FOOD. 

^^When  thou  has  eaten  and  art  full,  then  thou  shalt 
bless  the  Lord  thy  God.^^ — Deut.  viii,  10. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  God^s  saints  to  be  lean,  weak, 
and  half  starved.  ^'He  satisfieth  the  longing  soul,  and 
filleth  the  hungry  soul  with  goodness.'^  (Ps.  cvii,  9.) 
When  the  heart  is  filled,  the  next  thing  on  the  program 
is  to  ^^bless  the  Lord.^^  ^Traise  is  comely  for  the  up- 
right.^^  (Ps.  xxxiii,  i.)  *^Whoso  offereth  praise  glori- 
fieth  Me.'^  (Ps.  1,  23.)  The  overflowing  blessing  is 
necessary  to  refresh  those  about  us;  the  little  we  can 
hold  we  need  for  ourselves.  ^'Eat  ye  that  which  is  good, 
and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness.^'  (Isaiah  Iv,  2.) 
He  ^^filkth  thee  with  the  finest  of  the  wheat/'  (Ps. 
clvii,  14. 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


187 


GOD^S  FULLNESS. 

''And  of  His  fullness  have  all  we  received,  and  grace 
for  grace/^ — John  i,  16. 

No  experience  of  grace  should  be  regarded  as  a  final- 
ity; as  though  we  had  received  all;  rather,  every  ex- 
perience should  be  recognized  as  a  stepping-stone  to 
higher  altitudes  of  grace.  Grace  prepares  us  for  the 
reception  of  more  grace.  The  grace  of  justification  pre- 
pares us  for  the  grace  of  entire  sanctification.  Entire 
sanctification  prepares  us  for  glorification.  No  matter 
what  our  present  experience,  there  is  always  more  to 
follow.  "It  is  better  farther  on.^^  '^He  is  able  to  do  ex- 
ceeding   abimdantly    above  all  that  we  ask  or  think/' 

FULL  OF  WISDOM. 

''And  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  was  full  of  the  spirit  of 
wisdom.^' — Deut.  xxxiv,  9. 

God  places  no  premium  on  ignorance,  although  He 
"made  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world.^'  (1  Cor.  i,  20.) 
Men  can  not  be  guilty  of  greater  folly  than  when  they 
substitute  the  wisdom  of  this  world  for  the  Holy  Ghost. 
God  can  not  be  found  out  by  the  wisdom  of  this  world. 
Things  that  are  spiritual  can  only  be  known  as  revealed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  "The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  be- 
ginning of  wisdom.'^  (Prov.  ix,  10.)  "The  wisdom  that 
is  from  above  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and 
easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits.'^ 
(James  iii,  17.)  "If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask 
of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth 
Biot;  and  it  shall  be  given  him.^'    (James  i,  5.) 


i88 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


FULLNESS  OF  THE  BLESSING. 

^^I  am  sure  that  when  I  come  unto  you,  I  shall  come 
in  the  fullness  of  the  blessing  of  the  gospel  of  Christ/^ — 
Eom.  XV,  29. 

Before  a  minister  can  be  sure  that  he  will  come  to 
his  people  in  the  fullness  of  the  blessing,  he  must  be  sure 
he  has  the  fullness  of  the  blessing.  There  is  a  blessing 
and  ^'^the  fullness  of  the  blessing/^  just  as  there  is  ^'life/' 
and  ^life  more  abundant.^^  The  ^^fuUness  of  the  blessing*^ 
excludes  everything  else  from  the  heart.  Where  unholy 
ambition,  self-will,  pride,  doubt,  and  a  man-fearing  and 
man-pleasing  spirit  is  found,  ^'the  fullness  of  blessing'^ 
is  not.  The  fact  that  there  may  be  some  water  in  the 
pitcher  is  not  an  evidence  that  the  pitcher  is  full  of  water. 
^^Of  His  fullness  have  all  we  received,  and  grace  for 
grace.'^    (John  i,  16.) 

MOUTHS  FILLED. 

^^Open  thy  mouth  wide,  and  I  will  fill  it."— Ps.  Ixxxi, 
10. 

The  ^^mouth,"  ^^tongnie,^'  and  ^^conversation"  iar^e  an 
index  to  the  heart.  ^^How  can  ye,  being  evil,  speak 
good  things?  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
mouth  speaketh.'^  (Matt,  xii,  34.)  God  fills  the  mouth 
by  first  filling  the  heart.  A  full  heart  brings  the  ringing 
testimony.  ^^They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
anid  began  to  speak."  (Acts  ii,  4.)  The  Pentecostal 
blessing  is  always  the  ^^speaking  blessing."  ^'I  will  give 
you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries 
shall  not  be  able  to  gainsay  nor  resist."  (Luke  xxi,  15,) 
^^With  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation/^ 
(Eom.  X,  10.) 


FULLNBSS  OF  JESUS. 


FULLNESS  OF  THE  GODHEAD. 

^Tor  in  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily/^— Col.  ii,  9. 

Everything  pertaining  to  present  and  eternal  salva- 
tion is  found  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  is  the  ''Light/^  the 
'"Life;'  the  ''Truth/'  the  ''Way/'  the  ''Doot/'  and, 
^^of  God,  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and 
sanctification,  and  redemption.^^  (i  Cor.  i,  30.)  In  Him 
you  may  find  3'our  every  need  supplied.  "Christ  in  everj^- 
thing,  and  everything  in  Christ,^^  should  be  the  motto  of 
every  Christian,  "till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect 
man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of 
Christ/^    (Eph.  iv,  13.) 

GOOD  MEASURE. 

"Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you;  good  measure, 
pressed  down,  and  shaken  together,  and  running  over, 
shall  men  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  the  same 
measure  that  ye  mete  withal  it  shall  be  measured  to  you 
again.'^ — Luke  vi^  38. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  it  is  not  the  stingy  and 
close-fisted  soul,  but  ''the  liberal  soul  shall  be  made 
fat.^^  (Prov.  xi,  24.)  Liberality  insures  temporal  suc- 
cess and  prosperity.  Many  of  God's  people  are  poverty  < 
stricken,  simply  because  they  are  miserly.  ^'There  is 
that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth;  and  there  is  that 
withholdeth  more  than  is  meet;  but  it  tendeth  to  poverty.^^ 
(Prov.  xi,  24.)  "He  which  soweth  sparingly  shall  reap 
also  sparingly;  and  he  which  soweth  bountifully  shall 
reap  also  bountifully.''  (2  Cor.  ix,  6.) 


IQO 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


FULL  OF  TEMPORAL  BLESSINGS. 

■^TT-e  maketh  peace  in  tliy  borders^  and  fiUeth  thee 
•with  the  finest  of  the  wheat/^ — Ps.  cxlvii,  14. 

The  marginal  rendering  is  ^^the  fat  of  the  wheat.^^ 
God  intends  His  people  should  have  the  best  He  has  in 
store.  Then  why  should  any  live  on  skiinmed  milk 
when  they  might  have  the  cream;  or  live  on  half  rations 
when  they  might  have  a  full  meal?  or  ask  for  crumbs 
when  God  desires  to  give  you  the  whole  loaf?  Peace 
and  plenty  is  the  heritage  of  all  who  will  obey  Him. 
^^He  should  have  fed  them  also  with  the  finest  of  the 
wheat  ;  and  with  honey  out  of  the  Eock  should  I  have 
satisfied  thee.'^  Ps.  Ixxxi^  16.)  ^Tf  ye  be  willing  and 
obedient,  ye  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land.^'  (Isaiah 
i,  19.) 

FILLED  WITH  KNOWLEDGE. 

"Filled  with  all  knowledge,  able  also  to  admonish  one 
another.^^ — Eom^  xv,  14. 

The  knowledge  which  the  Bible  commends  is  an  ex- 
perimental knowledge.  Theoretical  knowledge  may  be 
gathered  from  books,  and  is  simply  a  thing  of  the  head; 
experimental  knowledge  can  only  be  obtained  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  as  revealed  by  the  Spirit,  and  is  a  thing 
of  the  heart.  "Now  we  have  received  .  .  .  the  Spirit 
which  is  of  God,  that  we  might  know  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  to  us  of  God.^'  (i  Cor.  ii,  12.)  Things 
hidden  from  the  wise  and  prudent  are  "revealed^^  unto 
babes.^^  (Luke  x,  21.)  "God  gave  them  knowledge 
and  skill  in  all  learning  and  wisdom.^^  (Dan.  i,  17.)  *Tn 
whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge.^' 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


igi 


FULL  OF  GOOD  WORKS. 

^^This  woman  was  full  of  good  works  and  almfedeeds 
which  she  did.'' — Acts  ix,  36. 

What  a  desirable  epitaph  for  a  saint  of  God  who  has 
departed  this  life!  WTiat  an  index  to  character!  ^This 
woman''  spoken  of  was  Dorcas,  whose  post-office  address 
was  Joppa.  Good  works  will  not  secure  for  us  the  favor 
of  God;  but  '^good  works''  are  the  inevitable  result  of 
faith  and  favor  in  God.  They  are  not  so  mluch  the  re- 
sult of  effort  as  they  are  the  expression  of  a  good  heart. 
However  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  the  person  filled 
with  the  Spirit  of  Christ  will  have  a  liberal  spirit  and 
find  opportunity  to  give  some  alms.  ^Taith  without  works 
is  dead."    (James  ii,  26.) 

THE  HUNGRY  ARE  FILLED. 

"He  satisfieth  the  longing  soul,  and  filleth  the  hungry 
soul  with  goodness." — Ps.  cvii_,  9. 

No  one  should  rest  in  an  experience  that  does  not 
give  entire  satifsaction:  for  the  experience  that  does  not 
fully  satisfy  the  longing  of  the  human  heart  never  satisfies 
God.  By  awakening  deeper  desires,  and  a  hungering 
and  thirsting  in  the  soul,  God  means  to  lead  us  into 
higher  heights  and  deeper  depths  of  His  love.  Satis- 
faction is  guaranteed  to  all  who  will  abide  in  the  center 
of  His  will.  When  Christians  follow  the  things  of  the 
world  they  plainly  say  their  religion  does  not  satisfy. 
"They  shall  be  abundantly  satisfied  with  the  fatness  of 
thy  house;  and  thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river 
of  thy  pleasures."  (Ps.  xxxvi,  8.)  "The  meek  shall  eat 
and  be  satisfied."    (Ps.  xxii,  26.) 


192 


FULLNESS  OF  JESUS. 


FILLED  WITH  JOY. 

"Thou  shalt  make  me  full  of  joy  with  thy  countenance/' 
—Acts  ii,  28. 

True  happiness  is  not  conditioned  on  what  we  have, 
but  rather  on  what  we  are.  A  glimpse  of  Jesus  will  al- 
ways enrapture  and  ravish  the  soul  with  delight. 

^^As  by  the  light  of  opening  day, 

The  stars  are  all  concealed; 
So  earthly  pleasures  fade  away, 
When  Jesus  is  revealed.'^ 

"In  Thy  presence  is  fullness  of  joy.''  (Ps.  xvi,  8.) 
"The  kingdom  of  God  is  ...  righteousness,  and 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  (Kom.  xiv,  17.) 
According  to  this  analysis,  one-third  of  religion  is  joy. 
"In  whom,  though  now  ye  see  Him  not,  yet  believing, 
ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory .'^ 
(I  Peter  i,  8.) 


